


Give us the Wind, Give us the Storm

by wolflikeme



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Arthur is a sweetie, BAMF Reader, Badass Arthur, Bank Robbery, Bounty Hunting, Canonical Character Death, Chapter 3 onwards, Clemens Point, Drunk Shenanigans, F/M, Female Protagonist, Flirting, Fluff, Gunslinger vibes, It happens, Jealousy, Male-Female Friendship, Minor Character Death, O'driscolls suck, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Protective Arthur, RDR Spoilers, RDR2, Rhodes - Freeform, Romantic Tension, Saint Denis, Sean is a flirty boi, Sean/Reader best friends, Slow Build, Spoilers, Strong Female Characters, Valentine - Freeform, first fic, fuck guarma, when it happens
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-20
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2020-03-08 13:28:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 48,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18895543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolflikeme/pseuds/wolflikeme
Summary: There’s something about revenge.You spend all your time looking to the past and all you are left with are your ghosts...Unless someone comes along and reminds you how to live again.-Bit of a slow-burn Arthur x OC/Reader; writing style is from the Reader's POV.Relatively respectful of canon ;)Starts from Ch. 3 onwards with canon divergence.-----"I was just there to see if they had any supplies or money in that basement, and instead, I found you.""What a disappointment it must've been to see my ugly mug then," He replied, taking a drag of his cigarette and looking at you from under the brim of his hat."Quite the opposite." You said, a small smile forming on your face. The corners of his mouth turned up into a wry smile.-----





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my fist fic on AO3 and I am hella nervous! I've been working on it for months - I hope it brings some entertainment to you cowpokes. 
> 
> I've always loved slow-build stories and, of course, some classic sexual tension. ;) There will be a lot of it, so buckle up. 
> 
> The story will loosely follow the RDR2 canon with some divergence, but you will see how and when. Nonetheless, there are spoilers, so please be advised if you haven't finished the game! 
> 
> A few other things:  
> 1\. It is a reader POV; however, I chose not to use "Y/N" in the story because I do believe it kind of takes you out of the story if you have to read this and insert your name, yadda yadda yadda. So there are some 'lil nicknames here and there - hope it helps to keep your focus in the narrative! I actually named my own RDR Online character after this one, so I hope you like her!  
> 2\. I am not a historian, merely a lover of the RDR game series; while I try to do research before choosing to put something in the story, it is fiction, so please keep this in mind! It is meant for fun :)  
> 3\. I may change the rating as the story progresses, as well as tags, but I will note this in future chapters. 
> 
> That's enough out of me! Hope you read and enjoy! Cheers!

The stars were shining as bright as ever. Looking at the stars had always been your favorite thing to do. As you walked outside of the little house and made your way over to the small shed and hitching post, your family horse snorted in greeting.

"Hey, boy. How are you doin'?" You took your brush out and began grooming him gently, humming to yourself as you went. You gazed out at the plains of West Elizabeth, the place you had always called home. The rolling hills had been kind to you and your family, even if the rest of the world hadn't been. You weren't much of a farmer, but you took pride in the small patch of carrots you had started growing in the dirt next to the shed. You knelt down and snagged one from the ground, uprooting it to show your work to the world.  
"How about it, boy? You hungry?" You palmed the carrot, offering it to your horse and petting him gently as he sniffed the carrot curiously before taking it gently from your hand.  
  
You sighed, breathing in his scent when you heard the sound of loud, rowdy voices coming down the road at an alarming pace.  
Panic set in; yours was the only house around for miles. It wasn't much, but it was still a small homestead; robbers usually weren't picky. The only gun your family owned was sitting above the hearth in the house with your older brother, Joshua. He was awake, but it was unlikely that he heard the riders approaching. You peeked over your horses' neck, to see that the men had already reached the front door of the house. You were maybe ten yards from the house; if you could see what they were up to, maybe you could alert Josh.

Trying to stay as quiet as possible, you sprinted around the back of the shed to the other side of the house where you could get a proper view through the window. Taking the sleeve of your shirt, you wiped off some of the grime from the glass. From what you could see, the men were already inside, talking to Josh, and It looked like a group of the O'Driscoll boys. Between the way they were dressed in dark green colors and the lilt of their Irish accents, there was no doubt in your mind.  
The sound was a bit muffled through the closed window, and it was difficult to tell what they were saying. Josh had told you about one of the boys reaching out to him recently; something about robbing the local gunsmith in Valentine to get weapons for them in preparation for an upcoming job. Josh wasn't overly fond of the idea, and he had told them so. You narrowed your eyes as you saw one of them casually fingering their pistol in its holster. Josh stood up, brow furrowed and shoulders tense, and suddenly, you could see something was wrong.

Before you could act, the O'Driscoll had whipped his pistol out, a draw quicker than you'd ever seen, and a bullet was precisely placed within the chest of your brother. It was as if he were a target, created merely for practice.  
You covered your mouth to keep yourself from crying out, and dropped to the ground, out of sight. You were frozen there as you heard the loud thud of a body falling onto the floor.  
"Josh..." You breathed, tears beginning to stream down your cheeks as you realized your brother was dead, just like that. You heard the laugh of the men, an opening and closing of a door. Your breath sped up, your heart beating faster and faster, your body feeling like it was collapsing in on itself. 

The world faded to black as you passed out in the grass, the family horse whinnying in fear was the last thing you heard.

 

* * *

  _ **2 Years Later**_

 

It was a particularly warm night, and you had been tailing a young O'Driscoll who seemed to have gotten sloppy. They weren't the cleverest of men. You had been following him since he left Emerald Ranch, heading southwest toward an unknown destination..  
Keeping a safe distance, you noticed a trail of smoke and a couple of small shacks a few miles away. _Perfect._ You could have a shot at taking out a few of them while also grabbing some needed supplies. Since your brother died, you had taken it upon yourself to kill any O'Driscoll you came across. You had nothing left except your will and fury. You had taken up a couple of small, easy bounties here and there to get food in your stomach and bullets in your gun, but the main focus of your life had become hunting the gang who had killed your brother. It was all you had.  
  
You dismounted your horse among some thick bushes a decent distance from the camp.  
"Be right back, Val," You cooed at your mare, petting her neck as you leaned your forehead against hers, "Stay here."

You pulled your bandanna up to cover the lower part of your face and secured your hat on your head. Bringing out the Schofield you had collected off the last O'Driscoll you killed and taking a deep breath, you stealthily made your way towards the little campsite.  
You took cover behind a small shed which, upon further inspection, had a crate filled with guns. You crept in and rummaged through them before you spotted a Lancaster repeater and a bolt action rifle. Your eyes lit up as you took them, swinging both onto your back and shoulder for safe keeping. Voices became louder and you quickly moved back to your spot behind the shed.

 

"He better hurry up, I don't wanna be here when the law comes for that side of beef," one of the O'Driscoll's groaned, walking by the entrance to what looked like a basement. Money? Gold? There was something in there that was obviously important to them. He came closer to where you were hidden, and, since you didn't see any more of them in the immediate area, you figured this was your chance. You took out your knife and crept up behind him, slitting his throat. Trying to keep the noise down, you muffled his cry and slowly dragged his body behind the shed where you hid. There was one down.

Seeing no other guards near the entrance to the basement, you quickly ran to the open doors and descended the stairs, gun at the ready. As you made your way underground, you saw not money, but a man, hanging upside down from the ceiling, looking like the wrath of hell had been brought upon him.  
"Oh my god," You whispered, pulling your bandanna down. He opened his bruised eyes and looked at you, confused.  
"W-who are you?" He asked, his voice heavy, sounding like it took all of his strength to speak.  
"I'm gonna get you outta here." You whispered, looking back over your shoulder, praying nobody had seen you slip down the stairs. You slowly made your way over to the man and began to examine the chains that strung him up. Maybe your knife would do the trick. You took it out and began to work it back and forth against the chain. It didn't seem to work as well as you had hoped; you glanced around the room and saw a small metal file sitting on a nearby table. You grabbed it and began to fiddle with the lock.

 

You realized that, once the chains were released, his full weight would be in your hands, and although he was quite slim, he was muscular as well, and tall to boot. Taking another deep breath and steadying your stance, you continued picking at the lock for a minute or two until you heard a click and it released the man from his bonds and his body collapsed on top of yours. The only good thing was that one person falling on top of another made less noise than a body falling onto the ground. With your legs under the man's frame, you stopped and listen for any commotion outside. 

"What the hell was that?" You heard an O'Driscoll ask. _Shit._  
You moved as fast as you could, rolling over the man to free your legs from under his torso. Thankfully, your legs still worked, albeit painfully, as you pulled yourself up and hid behind the wall as you heard someone come down the stairs.

  
"What the-" You interrupted the man before he could make more of a scene by stabbing him in the side of his neck and covering his mouth with your hand as his body collapsed under you. You stabbed him a few more times for good measure. It was quiet above ground, and you decided it was time to try and get the man up and out of this camp.

"Hey, mister, you okay? We gotta go." You whispered, kneeling next to him. He just groaned incoherently.  
"Oh boy, okay. Here," You grabbed some canned salmon from your satchel and opened it for him, trying to tip it into his mouth. He obviously had been being starved here for at least a day or two while being beaten up by the O'Driscoll's. You gave him some water out of your canteen too, which he gratefully gulped down.  
  
After a few minutes, he seemed to regain a shred of strength and croaked, "Thank you."  
"Don't mention it," You muttered, "Alright, I'm gonna put your shoulder around my neck, okay?"  
"I-I got a nasty wound here, think I should treat it f-first." Gritting his teeth, he looked at his other shoulder, where you noticed the wound. He was right; it looked deathly. You pulled him over to a small table in the corner and sat him down in the wooden chair. You looked at the file in your hand and figured that it would probably be better than using the knife you had used to kill two people within the last ten minutes. You heated the file against the fire of the lantern and handed it to the man, "You okay to do this yourself?"

He nodded, grimacing and rotating the file against the open skin, which made your stomach turn. You dug through your satchel to find some extra gunpowder, which you poured into the wound at the man's signal. To seal the wound, you held the candle at the ready.  
"Once we do this, someone may hear it," You said, licking your lips in anticipation of a fight, "We're gonna have to fight our way out. Have you got a horse here?"  
The man nodded, "I hope they've got her here, otherwise I'll just take one of theirs."  
"I stole this gun from them," You said, taking the repeater off your back, "You take this, I have a rifle and revolver."  
"I'll get it back to you someday." He said, his voice still weak. He took the gun,"Ready?"  
  
Adrenaline filled your veins, "Yeah, let's do this." You cocked your pistol as he thrust the candle into the wound, letting out a small cry of pain. You quickly helped the man up, throwing his shoulder around the back of your neck once again.  
"When we get out there," You began as you both made your way toward the stairs, "I want you to run to the horses, I'll cover n’ hold them off your back as long as I can. Just ride, don't look back."  
The man looked at you, his eyes grateful, "Y' sure?"  
"Yeah, I can get away when I need to. Got a fast horse. I'll be fine."  
"What's your name?"  
You paused, "Faraday."  
"Well, hope I get to see you again, Miss Faraday. Want to repay you for all this." He replied, readying the repeater in one hand.  
"Just get out of here alive for me, would ya?" You asked with a tight smile.

   
You both took one final inhale and begun your ascent to the surface.  
The rest was a blur. You spotted one of the gang patrolmen and shot him in the back of the head, while the man shot another O'Driscoll sitting at the fire near the horses. You covered his back as he whistled and a stunning Missouri Fox Trotter yanked its reigns free from the hitching post and galloped to the man.

"My girl," You heard the man say lovingly as he threw himself on the back of the horse. He looked back at you and you gave him a quick nod before he raced off into the night. You spotted an O'Driscoll on horseback set out behind him and aimed your revolver, praying all the lessons your brother had taught you of distance shooting had paid off. You hadn't hit the rider, but you hit the horse, and that was enough to send them careening to the ground.

Your silent victory was cut short by a bullet whizzing past you. Turning, you saw three O'Driscoll's headed your way from another part of the camp. How many of them were here?  
Letting out a barrage of bullets in their direction and hitting one of the men in the chest, you took off running to the closest tree cover you could find. While reloading your gun as quickly as possible, you whistled for your horse, and, seconds later, heard the pounding of her hooves as she raced towards you.  
You readied yourself and jumped onto her back, grabbing for the reigns and shooting blindly behind you.  
"Run, girl, run as fast as you can," You pleaded with your horse as you looked over your shoulder. They didn't seem to be following you, but you knew better than to think you were in the clear.  
  


As you reached the crossing of a railroad into Lemoyne, you heard whooping and hollering behind you and an unmistakable Irish accent, "GET THAT BITCH, BOYS!"  
More O'Driscoll's. Looking behind, you spotted four of them. You weren't confident you could take them all down, but even killing one or two might help you escape. You tried to analyze which horses looked faster, which riders were in front; those would be your targets.  
  
Glancing ahead one more time to make sure there were no dangerous obstacles in front of you, you turned your full attention behind you and aimed for the rider in front. You took a couple of shots, and then one landed, knocking him off the back of his horse and into the dirt. You steered your horse towards a woodsy area, hoping the cover of trees and threat of collision would slow them down a bit. Your horse could handle it; she was the fastest horse you'd ever ridden, and she knew the forests well.  
  
Taking another shot at the other front rider, you missed and were grazed by one of his bullets. You cried out and nearly lost your balance, but your horse kept you steady. Your left side aching from the hit, you realized you'd have to reload soon. Emptying the rest of the rounds at the rider, two bullets finally landed their target. The rider and his horse stumbled and crashed into one of the trees. Two were down, and that was enough to get away. You were starting to feel a bit woozy from the bullet graze as you looked down and saw blood. You held your side and focused on applying pressure to the spot as you gripped the sides of your mare with your thighs.

Your mare turned it on and managed to zig-zag enough through the trees that eventually, you no longer heard anyone behind you. Reloading your gun just in case, you peered behind you and saw nobody. The pair of you continued at a high pace until you could be sure you weren't being followed. Before long, you reached the edge of a lake. The moonlight shone brightly against the water and you felt, for a moment, peace. You stopped and dismounted to look at your wound, and it wasn't looking great. Searching through your satchel to check your supplies, you pulled out a bottle of whiskey and poured it over your abdomen. It hurt like hell, but it was the best you could do for now to clean the wound before making a tourniquet. Luckily the bullet had only grazed you and wasn't lodged in your flesh.

  
You were out of the woods, and out of the O'Driscoll's path. A few hours to sleep would help, so you set up your small tent. You opted not to start a fire, in case they were still a couple of miles around. Any smoke would draw them right to you. You took out the other can of salmon you had been saving and remembered the man. You wondered and hoped that he had gotten somewhere safe, away from the O'Driscoll's. He looked like he could certainly handle himself on a good day, but not after starvation and torture. You never even asked his name. 

For now, sleep would be the best remedy for your wound and worries, and you drifted off, your hand on your gun.  
  


You woke up the next morning to the sound of soft waves crashing on the lake shore. The light of the sun was beautiful, radiant on the face of the water. You sat up, staring out of the flap of the tent at the lake, wishing life was simpler than it was right now.  
You could have let the O'Driscoll's get away with what they did to your brother, but you couldn't just let them go unpunished. You knew revenge wouldn't bring him back, but you couldn't just go live a normal life and just forget about the injustice that was brought upon him. You knew he wasn't a vengeful person, but you were filled with rage on his behalf, and it was unquenchable.

Despite everything, the lake helped you steady your mind as you watched the shallow waves lap up and down on the shoreline. Since there were no signs of O'Driscoll's yet, you decided to stay another few days. You did a little bit of fishing, although you were awful at it. You managed to catch one fish, but it was a small one. Of all the things your brother had taught you, fishing wasn't one of them. He had dreamed of living near the ocean, he vowed to run away to California and find his fortune, but, like all dreams, it was only that. He was your big brother, your protector, your best friend, and the only one in your family who had actually given a damn about your future after your mother passed away. 

You sat fiddling with your gun and staring at the water when you heard Val whinny. Whipping around, you were met with a knife in your other side, courtesy of one of the O'Driscoll's that had been chasing you days before.  
You moved quickly and shot him in the chin with your other hand, crying out as pain ripped through you. He fell backward into the rocky dirt.  
  
"Fuck, fuck, fuck," You growled, wincing as you grabbed a spare shirt from your bag and pressed it against your new wound. Blood was seeping through the material and you felt faint. You saw your horse coming towards you in concern, and then heard the sound of more hooves. More O'Driscoll's.  
You figured this was when they would finally end you and the trouble you had been causing them, even if it was minuscule in the grand scheme of things. You clung to your pistol with your other hand, sweating and preparing to take as many down with you as you could.  
"Ma'am, you alright? Heard a gunshot over here." A different voice, not Irish, addressed you. Your vision was getting fuzzy, but the voice sounded familiar to you somehow.

It had to be a dream. The man, the same man you helped escape from the basement, was making his way in front of you on the back of the same fox trotter.  
"You..." Your voice was breaking, and you were starting to fade out.  
"My god, you're the one that saved me." He got off his horse and moved toward you quickly.  
You felt yourself keeling over, and he caught you, kneeling next to you like you had done for him only days prior.  
"Y-you're okay?" You looked up at him hopelessly, your voice cracking.  
"I’m gonna get you out of here, get you healed up, okay?" His words filled your ears, but you were barely awake to register anything anymore. Your world faded completely to black. 

 

* * *

 

There was a cool breeze on your face as you inhaled, and your eyes fluttered open. At first, you thought you must have been dead. You weren't much of a believer in heaven or hell, but this certainly felt like heaven. There was classical music playing from somewhere near you and you were incredibly comfortable, partially covered by something soft, feeling the air caressing your skin like a long-lost lover. You sat up very slowly and put your hand to your abdomen where the O'Driscoll had stabbed you and touched what felt like a thick bandage.   
You weren't dead; you were somewhere, in what appeared to be a large lean-to, in a cot, covered by a blanket, your wounds completely treated and bandaged.  
There was a woman standing near you, facing the other way and tinkering with something you couldn't see.  
"Um, ma'am?" You asked, your voice barely more than a whisper. You felt like you hadn't spoken in days, that scratchy, choked feeling in your throat.  
Startled, she jumped and turned back to you, "Oh, you're awake! You've been out a few days, dear, I'll go tell Arthur."

Before you could say another word, she bustled away to go find whoever Arthur was and you were left alone to survey your surroundings. It was a camp, a large one by the looks of it, and you saw a wide variety of folks sitting around or doing various tasks around the area. You looked around the small bed where you had been resting; there was a picture of three men nailed into a wooden wall next to the bed.   
All three men were very handsome; it looked like it had been taken at a portrait studio maybe 10 years ago. There was another picture of a very sweet looking dog, tongue out and looking right at the camera. Before you could look at the third picture, you heard a couple of people walking up to you. Wincing, you sat up fully and positioned yourself on the edge of the bed, your legs hanging off, toes grazing the green grass below.

The woman reappeared, along with two other men. One of them was the man you saved from the O'Driscolls's and, you supposed, was the one who had saved you, too.  
"Hey there," He said with a smile, "You're lookin’ better."  
  
This was the first time you had really gotten a proper look at the man and wow, was he a sight for sore eyes. It was one thing seeing him beat nearly to death in a basement or riding away in the night during a firefight; it was another to see him in front of you in broad daylight, looking healthy. He was tall, slightly over six feet and looking down curiously at you. His hair was a dark blond, bordering on light brown and, when the sunlight shone on it, glinted gold. His eyes were so vivid, as blue as the sky and as deep as you imagined the sea to be.

You struggled to find your words, especially after laying eyes on him, "I-I feel better. To be truthful, I was pretty sure I was dead n' this was heaven."  
He snickered, and the third man, taller than the others, with black hair spoke up, "What were you doin' over in this area, miss?"  
"I was just tryin' to find somewhere to lay low for a few days after a run-in with another gang after I-" You began, but the man who saved you interrupted.  
"After she saved me, Dutch. She was the one I told you about, she got me outta the O'Driscoll's camp." The men looked at each other before the one named Dutch spoke up again.  
"I figured that, Arthur, I just wanted to hear it from her. Get her side of the story," Dutch looked back at you, "Miss, how rude of us for not introducin' ourselves. My name is Dutch Van Der Linde. This here is Mr. Arthur Morgan, you have obviously met each other, and this fine woman is Ms. Susan Grimshaw, our local healer."  
  
Ms. Grimshaw guffawed at Dutch, "I am the local do-everything-'round here. Nevertheless, glad you are doin' better, dear. I'll be off." She left you alone with the two men, as they eyed you.  
"I'm Jane. Jane Faraday," You replied, "I really appreciate the hospitality-"  
"So, you, Miss Faraday, saved Arthur from the O'Driscoll's," Dutch interrupted, a slightly suspicious look in his eye, "And then you end up not miles from our camp…seems odd, coincidental."  
"Well," You sat up straighter, ready to explain yourself, "O'Driscoll's killed my brother years ago, took all I had when they shot him, and I spend most of my days hunting them down. I tailed one of them to that camp, thought I would just steal some supplies from them, but I found Mr. Morgan being held there. He was beaten up real good, so I wanted to help, get him out of there. Got shot running away, and my horse brought me to the lake. Camped a few days, and one of them sneaks up behind me, stabs me, and I shot 'em. A miracle I'm alive, if I'm honest. Mr. Morgan returned the favor. That about sums it up." You looked back and forth between Dutch and Arthur, who then took a glance at each other. 

"Well, an enemy of my enemy is certainly a friend, Miss Faraday. An O'Driscoll hunter, who would have thought." Dutch said with a hearty laugh, extending a hand to you, "And you helped get Arthur out of a mighty pinch. I thank you."  
"Really, was no trouble. I'm alive, Mr. Morgan is alive. And a couple of O'Driscoll's are dead. A win in my book." You said, taking his hand and shaking it, "If anything, I thank you for taking me into your camp and letting me heal up a bit. Don’t think I would’ve made it, if not for ya'll."  
"It's the least we can do. Rest up, we will celebrate both of your livelihoods tonight." Dutch exclaimed, putting his hands together, "And welcome." Dutch walked away, leaving you and Arthur alone.

"What a crazy couple of days," Arthur said, sitting down at the end of the cot, "How are you holding up?"  
"All things considered, pretty well. I was stabbed, and yet, here I am, alive." You laughed dryly.  
"I still can't believe you just stumbled into that O'Driscoll camp," Arthur shook his head, taking a cigarette out of his pocket and lighting it, inhaling deeply, "Right place, right time, I guess."  
"I was just there to see if they had any supplies or money in that basement, and instead, I found you."  
"What a disappointment it must've been to see my ugly mug then," He replied, taking a drag of his cigarette and looking at you from under the brim of his hat.  
"Quite the opposite." You said, a small smile forming on your face.   
  
The corners of his mouth turned up into a wry smile. There were the sounds of people going about their business in the camp, conversations and laughter, a dog barking, and yet, here in this little makeshift home, all was silent as you and Arthur sat, survivors because of the other one's hand. Curiosity got the better of you as you broke the silence. 

"So is this your bed? And is this you?" You asked, pointing to the picture of the three men, "This looks an awful lot like you and Mr. Van Der Linde and…someone else."  
Arthur cleared his throat, "Yeah, it's mine, figured you needed somewhere comfortable to rest," He looked at the picture, "In our younger, glory years. It's me, Dutch, and Hosea. You'll meet him later. Two o' them practically raised me." He explained everything so earnestly.  
"It's a nice picture. And your bed, and hospitality, all of it, really," You began, "I can't thank y' enough."

  
He made a motion as if to swat away your gratitude, "It's nothin', I owed you. Oh," He took a quick look outside the tented area, "I got your horse too, she's hitched with the others."  
You gasped, "Oh, Mr. Morgan, thank you! I was worried I lost her. Can you show me where she is?" You started to get up but felt a sharp pain in your side again - clearly, your wound was not fully healed yet. Arthur moved toward you quickly at your wince of pain and put his hand on your shoulder, "You alright?"  
"Guess I'm not quite there yet, have to move a little slower than normal," You replied, grimacing, "I'll be okay, just slow down.”  
He took your arm and slung it around his neck, much like you did for him that night at the O'Driscoll's camp, "How 'bout this? Feels familiar, huh? I'll walk you to her."

Arthur carried most of your weight as he helped you walk over to your horse. Her light brown hair looked glossy in the light of the sun, and she whinnied excitedly when she spotted you approaching with Arthur.  
"Hey, Val, hey pretty girl," You cooed as you raised your hand to stroke her golden mane, "How you doin'?"  
"She was causin' quite a racket when we took you in the tent to fix you up," Arthur commented, giving her a pat on the back, "She's a Turkoman, right? Pretty rare."  
  
You nodded, "Yeah, funny enough, I was camped up in New Hanover territory one day. I had seen her runnin' around with some rustlers earlier in the day. I thought maybe they had stolen her. Later that night, she must have gotten free, and she wandered into my little camp. Took a few bucks and rides to get her to fully accept me but in the end, guess she wanted to run with me instead of being sold off to some man who probably wouldn't appreciate her," You explained, leaning your face close to her, "I named her Valkyrie. My brother used to love mythology, he liked to tell me about Vikings and stories about their gods. She really is a warrior, came to me nearly a year ago. I had to sell our family horse to the stables, he was gettin' too old for the road I chose to go down. It was hard to let him go, but I knew, in the end, it was a safer life for him." 

You smiled as you recalled the day you found Val and then looked at Arthur's horse, "What's the story with yours? She's absolutely beautiful."  
"Bought her in Valentine., named her Athena. After my old horse died, I needed a new one, and it just seemed right when I saw her. She wasn't getting along too well with the stable hand, but we took to each other real easy. She's quite a fighter, too, a brave girl indeed." Arthur answered, staring at the beautiful mare.  
  
He turned to you then, “I’m really sorry about your brother, Miss Faraday. O’Driscoll’s have a habit of takin’ good things away from good people.”  
You shrugged, “It still hurts but I’m becoming stronger every day because of it. Besides, I’m not much of a good person, I’ve killed, robbed, all in the name of revenge. Don’t think it makes me much of an angel. And you don’t gotta call me ‘Miss’, by the way.”  
Arthur snickered but didn’t respond. You two stood there for a while, just looking out at the lake before Arthur suggested you take a small rest before meeting the rest of the gang.

A few hours of sleep had worked miracles on you. You felt not quite perfect, but good enough, and you walked around camp with Arthur, being introduced to the rest of the people who traveled with him and Dutch. You had met everyone rather quickly, but each person was so unique in their own way, you had no trouble remembering all their names. The girls, Tilly, Karen, and Mary Beth, were very kind and welcoming. Mary Beth gave you a sweet hug when Arthur explained that you had saved his life.  
"Don't know what we'd do without Arthur," She exclaimed, "Thank you for savin' him!"  
You beamed, "It was my pleasure. I wouldn't be alive without him either, so we're even."  
"Well, we hope you'll stick around, Jane," Karen said, clapping a hand on your shoulder.

"Another lady in the camp," A blonde man appeared from out of nowhere, "Who might you be?"  
You noticed Arthur's nose crinkle in disgust as the man approached you.  
"What do you want, Micah?" He rolled his eyes as the man put his hands up in mock-surrender.  
"Lighten up, Morgan, I'm just introducin' myself to your new friend," He sneered at Arthur and then turned to you, extending his hand, "Micah Bell."  
  
By the way Arthur was behaving and the girls had slowly started to move away as Micah approached, you had a feeling he wasn't one of the gang members that you should be spending time around.  
"Jane Faraday," You replied curtly, despite how uncomfortable you felt in his presence. Arthur stepped between you and Micah, who lowered his hand, his blue eyes darting between you and Arthur.  
"Okay, okay, territory marked, Morgan, I get it," Micah laughed coldly, "See you around, Jane."  
"Come on, let's get some food, you're probably pretty hungry," Arthur said, putting his hand on the small of your back and guiding you away from Micah. You looked over your shoulder as you walked and saw Micah stalking away, his eyes still on you and Arthur. It made you shiver.

After getting some of Mr. Pearson's stew in your stomach, it was time for drinking and 'celebrating your livelihoods', as Dutch had put it. Being the new person in the camp, naturally, everyone wanted to know your story. You all sat around the fire, while you told the gang about what circumstances had started your harrowing journey. 

"My brother, Joshua, practically raised me. He wasn't perfect, but he was a good man. He made a lot of mistakes, but he owned up to them, y' know? He was the only one I had left after my mother got sick, and my dad left. He couldn't bear to live without my mom, didn't give a shit about us at the end. My mama, she had tuberculosis, you see, and," You paused, chewing your lip, "There wasn't much we could do. She lived longer than we thought she would, but it got really bad in the end. My dad pretty much took to the bottle as soon as she got diagnosed. Me and Josh did what we could, but it wasn't enough."  
"Sorry to hear that, Jane." John piped up, fiddling with the bottle of beer in his hands.  
  
You grimaced, "It was a long time ago. A few years ago, Josh was in town, in Valentine, when we met the O'Driscoll's. I was running errands and I think he was at the saloon, and they got to talkin'. My parents came over from Ireland, you see, so they must have realized their common heritage," You took another swill of the whiskey bottle, and then passed it to Lenny next to you, "Every now and then he would mention one or two of them, didn't think nothin' of it. I met them once, didn't like them. We didn't know who they really were, had no idea of their criminality. Then one day, they asked him to steal some guns for them from the gunsmith. They asked him to join them. Josh, well, he said no, and they didn't like that all that much. Came in the night and shot him."  
"You saw it happen?" Bill asked.  
"I was out back, feeding my horse. I heard 'em come into the house, rowdy as hell they were, and I hid behind our shed, crept up when I saw them go inside and before I could do anything, they shot him. I could barely breathe, and I think I must've passed out right then and there. Woke up the next morning, and his body was gone, blood on the floor," You paused, "Been huntin' them ever since, trying to make them pay for what they did."

There was a long silence from everyone sitting around the fire, it felt like hours had passed before someone spoke again.  
"It's very brave of you," Abigail said, tightening her grip on Jack who sat in her lap, "I'd been doin' the same thing if I was you, too."  
"I understand how you feel. The rest of the gang knows, but the O'Driscoll's killed my husband, just the same. Killed him in cold blood as I watched. Seems like we got a thing in common," Sadie added, "It's been a while now, but still hurts same as when it happened. Seems like it's the only thing I care about, too, seein' those bastards burn."  
  
"Thanks, Abigail. Sadie, I'm so sorry about your husband.," You replied, "It's just a damn shame, what those men do. Destroyin' everything in their path. And what it turns us into. Only seeking revenge. I got nothin' else to live for, nowhere I really call home.." You stared at the fire.  
"Not anymore," Sean exclaimed, the lilt of his accent trying to heighten the dismal mood, "We hate them, and you hate them. You ought to stick with us, lass."  
"Now hold on just a-" Micah started, but Dutch held up a hand.  
"Sean's right. She saved Arthur's life, she hunts O'Driscoll's, she is clearly more than capable of handlin' herself and contributing to our way of life. She's not just another mouth to feed," Dutch nodded at you, "You can certainly hold your own."

"I can, but I don't mean to bring my problems onto you folks. I'm happy to move on in the morning. You've been kind and hospitable to me, I won't forget it." You said, your eyes on Arthur. His eyes flicked to meet yours. You had already started to grow attached to some members of the gang, and you couldn't bear putting them into danger on your behalf. They were all quiet at your words.

"Well, why don't you just stay a few more days, see how you feel. If you still think we're a foul bunch, then we'll part ways. If not, you have a place here with us." Hosea suggested with a shrug. You looked around at the rest of the gang, trying to gauge their reactions to the idea of you staying. From the few hours you had spent there, Lenny, Sean, the girls, Abigail, and Little Jack seemed to have taken a liking to you. A few of them, namely Micah, seemed suspicious of you. Arthur was quiet and hard to read. From the time you had spent with him earlier and, all things considered, it seemed that he really liked you, but now, he just seemed reserved. He had been quiet most of the night after you had met Micah, while the rest of the gang had been asking you questions. He just looked at you while you weighed your options, the flames of the fire dancing in his irises. 

"Sure, thank you, everyone. It's really kind of you, and I promise not to be a burden. Willing to help however I can." You said, smiling as Sean ruffled the top of your head and passed the bottle back to you.  
"Ms. Grimshaw, you mind finding a place for Miss Faraday? I think we've got an extra tent 'round here somewhere." Dutch asked, puffing on his cigar.  
"She can borrow mine again," Arthur offered, "She’s been sleepin’ in there already and I owe her, after all." Micah snickered at Arthur’s words, and you locked eyes with him again..  
"I don't want to put you out, Mr. Morgan, really, you should take your bed back, I'll just sleep on the grass or something." You replied, shrugging.  
"Oh stop it, you two! You are both still healing and need proper places to rest. I'll put somethin' together for her." Ms. Grimshaw shook her head, getting up and leaving to gather some supplies to put something together for you.

The next few hours were filled with stories, laughing, and drinking. You spent more time getting to know the gang, listening to Javier play the guitar while others sang around him. Sean and Karen sang the loudest and got the drunkest. Charles joined in with his harmonica, as Arthur quietly hummed along. It really did seem like a small, diverse family of outlaws, misfits, and lost people who had been found along the way.

Folks started turning in for the night one by one until it was just you, Arthur, Sean, and Karen left. Sean and Karen began to get touchy with each other, seemingly forgetting you and Arthur were there. In any other situation, you might have felt uncomfortable but instead, it made you laugh; you felt like you already had known them for months and this was a regular occurrence. Arthur looked over at you and nodded his head toward a different area of the camp as if to say, 'let's give them privacy' and you smiled back, getting on your feet.

The two of you walked over to the area where Ms. Grimshaw had kindly set up a tent for you, right next to Arthur's.  
"You've got an amazing group of people here with you, Mr. Morgan." You said, looking over at Arthur.  
"Well, you know what they say, can't pick your family," He said with a small laugh, "All things considered, I feel quite lucky, Miss Faraday."  
"You don't gotta call me Miss, y' know." You stopped walking and looked at him with a smirk.  
"Well then don't call me Mr. Morgan." He countered, looking back at you with raised brows. His eyes were still so colorful, even in the dark of the night. You had both reached the area where your quarters were set up.  
"Okay, Arthur," You teased, "Thank you again, for bringing me here. You saved me. And before you say that you 'owed' me, forget it. I really do appreciate it and wanted you to know."  
"Well, you're welcome, and thank you, Jane," He paused, "Honestly, our luck has been flippin' back and forth lately but it feels like it may be startin' to turn again."  
"Is that for better or worse?" You asked thoughtfully. His eyes met yours and his lips curled up into a little smile.  
"For better, I think. G'night, Jane." He answered, and then gave you a small nod before turning toward his bed.  
"Goodnight, Arthur." You said and knelt down to crawl into your tent.

Somehow, everything seemed a little bit better for you since you arrived.


	2. The Stage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Come on, let's go, the day is runnin' away from us." Sean whined, "Let me teach her how things are done around here." 
> 
> Arthur's eyes narrowed, "Yeah, okay, but if she comes back with but a scratch on her, MacGuire, it's you I'm goin' to have to deal with."  
> "Yeah, yeah, o' course. I'll protect her."  
> "You be careful, okay?" Arthur said to you quietly before you climbed up onto Valkyrie's back.  
> "I promise." You replied with a smile. 
> 
> You rode off with Sean, Arthur watching as the pair of you disappeared from view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all SO much for the kind comments and feedback about Chapter 1!  
> I am thrilled that people are enjoying the story - it has been so much fun to write, and I hope you like this next chapter! :)

 

About a week after you arrived, you had begun to feel normal again and that your strength was coming back. You weren't much for trying to take on too much physical work, but you found plenty of small chores to do around camp while you continued to heal. Ms. Grimshaw had made sure that everyone was earning their keep, no matter who they were or the circumstances upon which they fell in with the gang.  

You woke up one morning to the sound of Ms. Grimshaw's voice outside your tent, "Jane? You awake in there? The girls could use a hand." 

Peeking out of the tent, you looked up at the lively woman, "Hey, Ms. Grimshaw, sure thing." 

"Good girl. They're over by the wagon there, across the way." 

You nodded as she bustled away to look after other matters. You touched your bandaged abdomen; it didn't feel quite as tender anymore. Smiling at Ms. Grimshaw's handiwork and realizing you'd probably be dead without her first aid, you quickly pulled on a dress that Mary-Beth had lent you since your usual shirt and pants were quite dirty and stained with blood. 

Regardless of the fact that you would probably be sitting in camp doing chores all day, you still secured your revolver to your thigh holster, just in case. 

Yawning and rubbing your eyes as you began walking over to the other side of the clearing, you were intercepted by Sean who was leaning against the large tree in the center of camp. 

"What a sight for sore eyes, you are, Faraday. Wakin' up in the mornin' looking positively like an angel." He exclaimed as you passed him. Sean pushed himself off the tree to match your stride. 

You raised your eyebrows, "Ain't you with Karen, Sean? You probably shouldn't be saying all that." 

Sean scoffed, "My dear, I am free as a bird." 

"Right," You laughed, "Well, I have to go help Karen and the girls. Ms. Grimshaw's orders." 

"Surely you need some coffee first, eh?" Sean offered.

 

You bit your lip, you were really tired, and Ms. Grimshaw has woken you up without warning.  

You shrugged, "Yeah, okay. Coffee first." 

"Ah, that a girl. Let a gentleman accompany you. Maybe later, you'll be bored and want to take a ride with me, eh? You ever rob a stage before?" He asked, stretching his arms behind his head. 

"Uh, no. I ain't robbed much o' anything except an O'Driscoll camp. I used to just do some small bounties to get by." You replied. 

"Oh, fair Jane, you are going to learn so much here. We'll turn you into a proper outlaw," Sean laughed, "I always say, having a lady for a stage always helps, you get 'em to stop for you, then we take all they've got, give nothin' back! Ha!" 

"Okay, maybe," You replied thoughtfully, "If I finish up with the girls, it could be good for me to learn how to make money with you lot if I'm going to stay." 

 

The pair of you walked over to the small fire which kept the coffee pot and stew pot warm. You joined Sadie and Abigail, who were drinking their coffee and chatting among themselves. 

"Good morning, ladies!" Sean greeted as he leaned down and poured two cups of coffee, handing one to you, "How are we all doing this morning, looking so lovely?" 

Sadie guffawed, "What do you want, Sean?" 

He gave an over-dramatic gasp, "Mrs. Adler, I'm just trying to be friendly, o' course. Making Miss Faraday feel at home the best I can." He slung his arm around your shoulder and gave you a wink.  

You rolled your eyes and slipped out from under his grasp, which earned a laugh from Sadie, "I'm sure she feels right at home just fine without you actin' like a dog tryin' to get a bone." 

"You can't get mad at me for tryin', eh? We all gotta take a crack at the new girl, you know!" Sean laughed mischievously, ruffling your hair before he skipped away, "I'll see you ladies later. Jane." He tipped his hat to you and went off with his coffee. 

 

"I see you're getting to know our local leprechaun," Sadie said, taking a sip. 

"Yeah, he doesn't seem to want to leave me alone." You shrugged with a laugh, "At least I can tell he likes me better than Micah." 

"To be fair," Another voice spoke up behind you, and you turned to see Arthur, "Nobody likes Micah."  He walked over with his mug and began pouring the hot liquid in, "Mornin'." 

"Arthur," Abigail greeted, "I'm goin' to see to Jack. See you folks later." 

You stood with Arthur and Sadie, sipping your coffee as you eyed the wagon where Tilly, Karen, and Mary-Beth had just begun to start some laundry. 

"Looks exciting, huh?" Arthur asked, watching you as you took a look at your chore for the day. 

"Can't lie to you, it looks real boring." You mumbled, "But I don't mind. It's the least I can do to help 'round here." 

"Well, I reckon you can handle a lot more than laundry work. If you end up stayin', I mean." Arthur replied. 

"Where else would you go if you move on?" Sadie asked as she drained the last of her coffee. 

You looked around at the camp, "I don't know really. I never stayed in one place too long before I met you guys. I guess I could go back to what I was doin' before, but somehow I think I'd get lonely, especially after meeting you all." 

"I guess that means you should stay. It would be nice to have another woman in the camp who can't be bothered with laundry work, to be honest. What a pair we could be." Sadie added with a small smile. 

"Now, now, Mrs. Adler, don't start bein' a bad influence on Miss Faraday. She only just got here, she's not ready to go raid camps and cause trouble with you yet." Arthur laughed, "Give her time to settle in." 

"I'm just sayin'," Sadie pursed her full lips, "See you guys." She walked off, leaving you and Arthur alone. 

  
"How's it going with you?" He asked, pouring himself a second cup. 

"It's good," You smiled, "Ms. Grimshaw asked me to help the girls for a bit, Sean offered to take me to rob a stage." 

Arthur raised his eyebrows at that, "You well enough to be doin' stage robbin'? With Sean, no less?" 

You shrugged, "I guess. I'm feelin' alright. I might as well learn, you know, if I stay and all." 

He stroked his light beard, "I guess so, just be careful. Sean don't always think things through all the time." 

"I could have guessed that with the way he talks to me." 

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked with an edge to his voice. 

"Oh, you know," You took a big sip of coffee, "You'd think he wasn't with Karen with the things he says." 

Arthur made a disgruntled sound, "He's a fool. If he, or anyone else for that matter, makes you uncomfortable ever, you come talk to me." 

You looked at him with a curious smile, 'Okay, Arthur. Thanks," You savored the last sip of your coffee, "I have to go help the girls. I'll see you later." 

 

He tipped his hat at you as you went over behind the wagon and saw the trio. 

"Hi girls." 

"Hey Jane, what're you doin' here?" Karen asked as she laid out a shirt into a large bucket to begin washing. 

"Here to help! Ms. Grimshaw volunteered me," You said with a smile, "What can I do?" 

"Oh that's lovely, thanks Jane," Mary-Beth exclaimed, "Here, you can help me with these pants, I'll show you what to do." 

"Thanks, I'm not really that good as this kind of stuff. My mama didn't really get the chance to teach me how." You said, sitting down as Karen scooted to make room for you in their circle. 

"It's real easy, we can teach you." Tilly beamed. 

 

You spent the next few hours sitting with the girls, getting the hang of doing laundry. Even though it was quite boring, they were able to make things fun with stories, the occasional song, and some good old fashioned gossip. They told you a lot of things about different people in the camp, about the local feud between the warring families of the Grays and the Braithwaites, both in which Dutch and Hosea had ingratiated themselves. Their goal was to find some old civil war money, which some people, including Arthur, doubted existed. The whole reason they had come to Clemens Point was to escape Valentine, which was an escape from Colter, which was an escape from Blackwater...

It seemed that the Van Der Linde gang had been on the run for a long time now, moving from place to place whenever something went wrong. With the way the girls spoke about the town of Rhodes, it seemed only a matter of time... 

   
"You've been spendin' a lot of time with Arthur lately, Jane," Karen said, shaking you out of your thoughts, "You ain't getting sweet on him, are you?" 

You had fallen quiet, "I-I, no, we just talk-"

"And drink together, and eat together-" Karen continued with a grin, nudging you. 

"I've only been here a week! He was the one you saved me, you know! I just feel comfortable around him..." You felt your cheeks growing hot.  

"Oh, Jane," Mary Beth sighed, "I mean, I see the way you look at him. It's true, Arthur Morgan is a confusin' man, and it's a quick and easy thing to fall in love with him, trust me, we've all been there once or twice. Despite his rough exterior, he is a gentleman, and they're in short supply 'round here."

 Tilly nodded, "Arthur's heart has never really been opened for anyone other than his former fiancee, Mary." 

You felt like a rock had dropped in your stomach. Admittedly. you _had_ started to develop feelings for Arthur; as Mary Beth said, it was easy to fall for him, and falling you were. You tried to hide it, but you feared you weren't doing a great job of concealing it. The way you smiled at him, or how your eyes lit up when you saw him, it was evident to others around you. 

 "Mary sends Arthur a letter every now 'n then, asking him for favors. She's just usin' him, we all know it." Karen said, rolling her eyes. 

"But she knows he's always goin' to come, that's the sad thing of it." Mary Beth replied in a deflated tone. 

"What happened with them?" You asked, trying to keep your voice steady. 

"Mary's family never agreed with Arthur's lifestyle. They decided an outlaw wasn't good enough for their Mary, and she went along with it. Up and married some other man, the last I heard," Tilly explained, sitting back again the wagon behind her, "It was a long time ago before any of us fell in with the gang, but Hosea was there. He told me about it one night. It was hard on Arthur for a very long time. I think he's never really healed from it. And sadly, I think he still has hope." 

"Right..." You sighed, feeling defeated. 

 "Cheer up, Jane," Karen said, putting her arm around your shoulders, "You got us! And anyway, I know Sean would _love_ to-" 

"Let me stop you there, Karen, I ain't got no interest, and I know _you're_ sweet on him," You reassured her, "If I am obvious with how I feel about Arthur, it may as well be written in the sky with you and Sean. I wouldn't want to hurt you like that. Next time he says somethin', I'll try to get some information out of him, he talks a big game, but I know deep down, he feels the same about you."

She blushed, "I mean, I-we don't, he's not-" 

You grinned, "Karen, don't worry, I won't tell a soul how you really feel. Even if we all know." The four of you laughed as Karen continued to blush furiously through her smile.  

Her eyes moved from yours to behind you, where she giggled, "Speak of the devil." 

  
You turned around to see Sean standing and watching the four of you with a big smile on his face. 

"You girls don't look like you're workin' much anymore." He commented, crossing his arms. 

"We're pretty much done now," Mary-Beth answered, wiping her hands on her dress, "What are you gettin' up to, Sean?" 

"Well, I've just come over to see if young Jane wants to learn how to rob a stage," Sean eyed you, "What do you say?" 

 You turned to look at the girls, Karen especially, as you could tell she was still blushing after your discussion. 

She gave you a tight smile and nodded, "You should go. It's pretty fun. After all, you're more fit to fight and rob than do laundry with us."

"Really?" You asked doubtfully. 

"Yeah!" Mary-Beth added, "You were practically doin' outlaw things before you even met us, weren't you? Raiding camps, fightin' O'Driscoll boys..." She said dreamily. 

"I mean, hardly, it wasn't glamorous, you know," You replied, "It wasn't much fun, either." 

"You know what _will_ be fun," Sean interjected, "Goin' for a little rob with me! Come on!" He grabbed your arm and pulled you up, tugging towards the hitched horses. You looked over your shoulder at Karen and mouthed ' _Don't worry'_ before you made your exit. As you walked to the horses, you saw Arthur riding back into camp with Charles, and another man who looked like he'd seen better days. 

 

"Where are you two headed?" Arthur asked suspiciously as the group of you met in the middle near the hitching post. 

"Off to rob a stage, English," Sean answered, mounting his horse, Ennis, "What have you been gettin' up to?" 

"Just rescuin' an old friend from an uncertain fate," He clapped the unknown man on the shoulder, "Jane, you ain't met Mr. Josiah Trelawny yet, have you?" 

"No, I don't believe I have," You extended your hand and smiled warmly at the man, "I'm Jane Faraday." 

 "Oh, how I wish I was in a better state when meeting such a fair member of the opposite sex,"  Trelawny replied, taking your hand and kissing it, "Josiah Trelawny, dear, I'm charmed."  

He spoke with an exuberant voice and had a high society way about him; you struggled to see how he fit in with the rest of the gang. 

"Alright, alright," Arthur rolled his eyes, moving between you and Trelawny, his back to you, "That's enough out of you, go get yourself cleaned up." 

"Come on, let's go, the day is runnin' away from us." Sean whined, "Let me teach her how things are done around here." 

 Arthur's eyes narrowed, "Yeah, okay, but if she comes back with but a scratch on her, MacGuire, it's you I'm goin' to have to deal with." 

"Yeah, yeah, o' course. I'll protect her." 

"You be careful, okay?" Arthur said to you quietly before you climbed up onto Valkyrie's back. 

"I promise." You replied with a smile. 

   
You rode off with Sean, Arthur watching as the pair of you disappeared from view. 

   
"So, where are we headed?" You asked as Val moved up to keep pace with Ennis. 

"Not too far, love, just over to Dewberry Creek. I heard there's a stage comin' through with some payroll from New Hanover, no security." Sean replied, "Should be easy!" 

"I feel like if we think it's easy, it won't be," You frowned, "What should I do?" 

"Ah, don't you worry, fair Jane! You should get them to stop, however creative you want to be, and then I'll sneak to the back, empty their lockbox and relieve them of their money!" 

"Okay, okay," You nodded, mind racing, "Sean, why don't you take Karen on somethin' like this? She said she's done her fair share of robberies with the rest of ya'll." 

"Ah, Jane," Sean began, his eyes on the path as you rode on, "Karen and me are complicated, it can get a little crazy sometimes, it's better for us to work alone." 

"But you do have some feelings for her, yeah? I saw you guys on my first night here, gettin' all touchy and such." You prodded. 

Sean's face turned serious for a moment, and he looked frustrated, "Why are you bringin' this up, then? She ask you to do this?" 

"No, no, Sean, look I'm sorry, didn't mean to pry. As I said, I just thought you two were together. I'm just tryin' to get to know what's what in the camp, you know?" 

His expression changed again, back to one of humor, "Ah, Jane, I could never be mad at ya. But like I said, free as a bird. Life is too short!" 

 You said nothing and continued to ride on, deciding you wouldn't tell Karen about this conversation. Sean seemed to plenty like Karen when he was drunk, but he made it seem like a different matter when he was sober. You had a feeling that in his heart, things were different, and he was trying to play it cool. You didn't want to prod any further, for fear of giving him the wrong idea.

   
"Here we are!" Sean exclaimed once you had gotten to a large hill bordering New Hanover and Lemoyne,  You both dismounted and took a look around the road. He gave his horse a smack on the rear and Ennis took off out of view.  

"I'm goin' to hide just off the path behind the hill, and then I'll sneak up once you've got them stopped. What should our signal be?" He continued. 

"Signal? I don't know." 

"Uh, maybe say something about 'your husband' and make up a story about why you're alone, and then that's when I'll sneak up! You just keep their attention!" 

"Sean, I ain't good at makin' up stories-" 

"Just try, they'll believe anythin' you say, beautiful Jane!" He was already taking off toward the hill, leaving you standing next to Val without a clue of your next steps. 

   
"Okay..." You groaned, "Go hide, girl." You gave Val a light tap to get her to ride off as you tried to make up a damsel in distress story as you heard hooves and the sound of wheels approaching. 

You got down on the ground in the middle of the road and began clutching your leg as if in pain and wailing, "Ah, help, help me!" 

   
To your dismay, the stagecoach came into view, but it wasn't unguarded as Sean predicted. There were two men up front, one with a gun, one driving the coach, along with another man following behind on horseback. Great, you thought, is it too late to call this off? 

 The coach pulled to a halt when the men saw you on the ground, "What's wrong with you, ma'am?" 

You took a deep breath before crying out in mock-pain again, "Oh mister, I'm so lucky you've come this way. I got bucked off my horse, and my husband went to catch him!" You continued the charade as you saw the guard on horseback come up to the front of the coach to see what was happening, "I thought he'd be back by now, but he's been gone twenty minutes, and I fear I've broken my leg! I'm afraid I'll be out here all night if he doesn't come back!" 

 Sean had already descended from the hill on foot, creeping behind the back of the coach as you continued your tale, "See I'm afraid he and I ain't well, he's been a bit upset with me lately," You flicked your eyes back and forth between the guards, the driver, and under the coach where you spotted Sean's legs, "You see, he just found out I'm pregnant." 

 The men's eyes widened at your statement. Sean poked his head around the carriage to grin at you and give you a thumbs up. The guard on horseback caught your shifts in attention and gave you a suspicious look, "Hey..."

"With another man's baby!" You added loudly, putting your head in your hands, hoping the distraction would keep working until Sean was out of sight. You peeked out from between your fingers and saw the guard moving towards the back of the carriage, despite your attempt to hold their focus. 

"Hey! We're bein' robbed!" He called out. _Shit_. 

   
You spotted Sean running back up the hill and the guard on horseback began shooting at him. You quickly stood up and grabbed your revolver out of its holster, firing at his back several times. Luckily, Sean made it out of sight without being shot, but the guard wasn't so lucky. He was slumped over on his horse, who had already been galloping away. The guard next to the driver also began firing at you, and there was nowhere to hide in the open road. You did your best to dodge the bullets and luckily, the guard wasn't a great shot. It was clear he was just hired to look menacing and maybe didn't even know how to shoot properly. You were far from a gunslinger, but at least your shots were landing their target. 

   
"I don't want to kill you, too," You shouted, diving next to the wagon and out of his line of vision, "But I will if you keep shootin'! Just be on your way!" 

"I'll take both of you down!" He called back. You sighed. _Fine. We'll do it the hard way._

   
Sean appeared again at the top of the hill, drawing the guard's attention by shooting at the coach. That moment gave you a split second to jump on the side of the stage and shoot the second guard in the back of the head. His body fell off the coach and the driver shrieked as he snapped the reigns, causing the horses to take off, you still hanging onto the side. You jumped off before they reached too high of a speed, your body crashing down and rolling on the ground like a rag doll. 

   
You groaned as you finally slowed to a stop, lying on your back in the dust and dirt. So much for Mary-Beth's dress. Sean ran down the hill and helped you to your feet. You winced at the sharp pain in your side. It was clear you weren't quite a hundred percent healed yet. Jumping off a moving coach and rolling around didn't seem to help. 

   
"Hey, you okay?" He asked, his brow furrowed with concern. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little dirty now. No worse for wear." You replied, touching your side. 

"I'm sorry," Sean frowned, "I didn't think that would happen." 

"Hey," You said, putting your hand on his shoulder, "It's okay! I'm still in one piece. Just need to change my bandage later. How much did we get?" 

   
Sean's expression turned then as he looked up at you impishly from under his hat, "Three hundred." 

Your eyes widened, "Three hundred? Dollars?!" 

"Yeah, dollars!" He grinned, grabbing your hands and shoving all of the bills into them, "Have a look at it, it's beautiful!" 

"Wow," You said, your eyes reflecting the color of the bills between your palms, "Do we get it all?" 

Sean's face fell a bit then, "Ah, unfortunately not, fair Jane, the camp gets half. We split the rest." 

"Oh," You replied, your excitement deflating a bit, "So then...we get..." You started doing the math in your head. 

"Seventy-five each. Split up half of three hundred and split it again. Camp gets the rest," Sean explained, "That's how it works, every job." 

You nodded, "Okay, that makes sense. I mean, it's still great! I've never really had more than seventy-five dollars at one time before. It's still so much money." 

   
Sean put his arm around you as he called for the horses, "Oh love, you are going to have _so_ much more money than this one day. This is chump change compared to what we usually get from a train or a bank job. You keep your head up, keep robbin' with me, and I'll make you rich! What a great team we make!" 

"Alright, alright," You laughed, ducking out from under his arm as Val cantered up to you, "We'll see. I still don't know if I'm stayin' yet." 

"What's the doubt in your mind? You fit right in!" Sean asked, as you both mounted up again and began riding back. 

"I don't know," You answered, "Honest, I just...I don't want anyone to be gettin' hurt on my behalf. I've made enemies of the O'Driscoll's." 

"Jane," Sean began pointedly, "Let me be honest with ya, because you know I love ya already. Dutch has had a blood feud with Colm O'Driscoll for years, and I mean  _years_. You've taken down what, a few of 'em, here n' there, from what you say. But I'm sorry to tell you, sweetheart, I ain't sure they even know your name." 

You stared straight ahead, frowning, "Well, thanks, I've only dedicated the last two years of my life to trying to avenge my brother." 

"Ah, come on, I didn't mean it like _that_ , Jane. I ain't tryin' to make you feel small! I'm just sayin' you're a mystery to them, it's a good thing! They don't really know ya, only by your face, probably not a name! Which means you can keep huntin' them as you please, and they won't be huntin' you!" Sean quickly replied, "Honest, Jane, I'm just tryin' to make you realize that you're not goin' to be a danger to our way of life, or any of us. We have bigger problems than the O'Driscoll's, love, trust me. It's not a bad thing."

   
You nodded, feeling a little bit better. Sean was right; perhaps it _was_ better if you weren't on the O'Driscoll hit list, even if it did make you feel a bit small.  You supposed that joining Dutch's gang would involve you more in the feud, even if you weren't at the front lines. Maybe it was better this way, to stay fighting in the shadows. For now, it was the best you could do. 

"Cheer up, Jane, you're seventy-five dollars richer!" Sean encouraged, prompting a grin from you. 

 The pair of you picked up the pace, reaching Clemens Point again as the sun began to get low. You dismounted and started to head towards the cash box behind Dutch's tent to deposit the gang earnings. Arthur was speaking to Dutch as he leaned against the pole in Dutch's tent as the latter sat before him, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Their conversation halted as Dutch laid eyes on you and Sean approaching.

"Ah, Mr. MacGuire and Miss Faraday," Dutch exclaimed, his voice booming, "How did your stagecoach endeavor go?" 

"Pretty well, Dutch, pretty well," Sean replied with a laugh as Arthur turned around to face you both, "Three hundred dollars." 

"Not bad, my boy," Dutch replied, lighting his cigar, "Not bad at all. Thank you both for your contribution." 

 

Arthur took one look at your dirtied clothes and disheveled hair and his eyes narrowed, "MacGuire, why is Miss Faraday covered in dirt lookin' like she got pushed around while you're clean as a whistle?" 

He edged toward Sean, who stepped back with his hands up, "She's fine, she's fine! She saved my life, Arthur, covered my back. She's a natural, she is." 

"Why am I not surprised?" Arthur growled, coming towards you and putting a hand on your shoulder, "You okay?" 

"Yeah," You replied with a tight smile, "Just need to change this, I think." You motioned to your bandaged side. 

"Come on," Arthur said, "I'll take a look and help you out." 

"Good workin' with you, Jane! I'll be drinkin' to you later!" Sean called after you as Arthur led you to his lean-to. You sat down slowly on the cot while he ran over to Strauss's wagon and grabbed a couple of bottles. 

 

He handed you a small clear bottle, "Here, have some of this. Miracle Tonic. Should help restore your strength a bit after getting knocked around." 

"Thanks," You took a swig, "It's really not so bad. It's my fault, really. I shouldn't have jumped off the stagecoach like that." 

Arthur chuckled, "Sounds like I missed a fun time. Is it okay if I change your bandage?" 

"Yeah, why not?" 

"Well, for starters," Arthur grimaced and you could've sworn you saw a bit of color on his cheeks as he spoke, "You're wearin' a dress, so uh, it's goin' to have to come off. Are you wearin' anythin' underneath?"

"Oh, I-"

"I mean, you can do it yourself, I know. You'd been goin' it on your own for a while now, I just thought-" Arthur stuttered, giving you some space. 

"No, no," You interrupted, "It's fine. I'll just go put a shirt and pants on, just give me a minute."  

"Here, just," He leaned over and pulled a shirt out from the chest at the end of his cot, "Just borrow this for the time bein'. I don't mind." 

 

You felt heat rise to your face as you took his shirt. 

"I'll uh, turn around. Make sure nobody sees." He murmured as he turned his back to you. You looked around, trying to locate any prying eyes before you began changing. 

You quickly slipped off the top of your dress and folded it over around your waist as if it were a skirt, wearing only the corset that you had put on beneath the dress this morning. Of course, the bandage was beneath the corset.

You reached behind your back to pull the string free as Arthur asked over his shoulder, "How's it goin' back there?" 

You startled, "Uh, good, I'm just tryin' to get this damned corset off." 

He cleared his throat, "Oh, uh, okay. Uh, do you-" 

"I'm okay! I've almost got it." Your face was beet red as the fastening came free and loosened completely. You held the front of the corset up with one hand as you tried to slip Arthur's shirt over your head with the other. You got it around your neck before you heard a voice off to the side. 

 

"Oh, what the hell!" Came a voice from behind Arthur's lean-to. You shrieked and your other hand leaped to hold up the corset and hide your bare frame. You turned and saw Bill who was walking in from the other side of camp and unexpectedly stumbled upon the scene. He lingered for a moment before he saw Arthur. 

"Bill," Arthur snarled, turning around to face him as Bill scampered away, "What the f-" He stopped when he saw you sitting, holding your corset tight to your chest, your cheeks as red as a berry. He faltered for a moment, his eyes on you, before he clapped his hand over them, "I-Jane, I'm so sorry, I-"

"Um, Arthur, can you h-help me?" You muttered, your arms locked together, "Just pull the shirt down." 

Arthur paused, one hand reaching out into thin air while the other covered his eyes. 

"Arthur, you can look." 

He slowly lowered his hand and looked down at you grimacing at him. He cleared his throat as he reached down and pulled his shirt over the rest of your torso. Once it was on all the way, you released your arms from holding the corset and slipped them through the armholes, the over-sized shirt falling into place onto your frame. You slipped the corset out from under the shirt and placed it on the cot next to you. 

 "Thanks," You said, looking up at him, "Um, will you still help me with the bandage? I don't mind if you don't want to, I just don't have the steadiest hands." 

"Oh uh, yeah, sure," Arthur said, clearly flustered by the whole affair, grabbing a fresh bandage and sitting down next to you, "I'm just going to lift the side of the shirt up, okay?" 

 

You nodded as he slowly lifted up part of your shirt and carefully unraveled the old bandage, which was wrapped around your abdomen. 

"Well, it doesn't look too bad," Arthur commented as you both looked down at the wound, "It's a little agitated but it's closed up, so no harm done. What even happened?" 

"I jumped up on the stage to shoot a guard. Sean didn't think there would be any security, but he was wrong. The driver got spooked and took off while I was still hanging on, had to jump off before I got taken for a ride."

"That's uh, well, that's usually how it goes, to be honest. Nothin' is every as easy as it seems," Arthur snickered as he wrapped the new bandage around you, "Take was pretty good, though. You ever robbed a stage before?" 

"Not before today. It was kinda fun. I even made up some stupid story about how I fell off my horse and my husband left me to find it, but he's been sour with me," You giggled, recalling the moment, "I said, 'You see, he just found out I'm pregnant! With another man's baby!'" You put on the show for Arthur, laying the back of your hand against your forehead in dismay like a proper damsel. 

 Arthur laughed loudly, "Well, Miss Faraday, I think you're goin' to give the other actresses here a run for their money," His fingers lingered on your skin after he finished with the new bandage before he sat back against the wall of his wagon, "You continue to surprise me." 

"I hope that's a good thing." You said, looking up at him from under your lashes. 

"Oh, it is," Arthur replied, his tongue flicking out to wet his lips, "In fact, I-"

 

"Arthur! I need to talk to ya." John's gruff voice interrupted as he approached the pair of you. You blinked, realizing you had been leaning quite close to Arthur on the cot. He seemed to shake himself out of something as well as he turned to John. 

“What’s goin’ on now, Marston?” Arthur asked with a hint of exasperation in his voice. 

 John strolled up, nodding at you in acknowledgment before looking at Arthur, “Hey, I need to talk to you. Bill might have somethin’.”

Arthur exhaled loudly, “Can’t it wait?” 

“Not really.” 

Arthur sighed before turning back to you and standing up, “Excuse me, Jane. Feel free to uh,” he motioned at the cot, “Rest up if you’d like.” 

“Okay, Arthur.” You nodded at him, “Thanks again.” 

 

He tipped his hat and walked off with John. You watched the pair of them walk away, sighing. You couldn’t help but replay the events of today in your head, repeatedly coming back to this evening, feeling Arthur’s touch lingering on your skin. 

The inevitable was happening. As much as you tried to deny it, you were getting irrevocably sweet on Arthur Morgan. 

 


	3. Just One Drink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Arthur," You began, turning to face him, "You're probably sick of people tellin' you that things will be okay. I don't know if they will, I want to hope so, but I ain't gonna lie to you or preach some dream either. But I am here for you, and I will try my best to help however I can. Whether it's gettin' more money for the gang, or you just needin' someone to talk to."  
> "Thank you," Arthur inhaled deeply, "Y'know, feels like you're some kinda angel sent here. First savin' me from the O'Driscoll's and then sittin' here listenin' to me complain like a bitter old man." He laughed dryly. 
> 
> "Good lord, Arthur, you are not old," You snickered, "And you're not complainin' neither. I ain't no angel. Just trying to make the best of a crazy situation. It seems like everyone leans on you, but you've got nobody to lean on for yourself. It's a damn crime, the pressure you're under, I want to be that, help, I mean, be there for you." Your words stumbled over each other incoherently as you began to truly feel the weight of intoxication coming down on you. 
> 
> Arthur looked at you thoughtfully, albeit drunkenly, then, and took his hat off his head, running a hand through his hair, "Hey, why ain't you ever married, Jane?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone for your comments and support! I really, truly do value your opinions and feedback.
> 
> This chapter is a bit shorter, but I am working on the ebb and flow of the story, so I hope you can appreciate it :)
> 
> The new chapters may start to have a slight delay as I'm going to be traveling a bit in the next few weeks, but I'll do my best to stay consistent with the posting! I have 4 more chapters written at the moment, so I will space them out appropriately ;)

 

It had been three weeks since you arrived at the Van Der Linde camp, and the verdict was still out on whether or not you would stay. 

Most of the gang had made you feel very welcome. You had worked with the girls most days, helping with laundry and preparing food with Pearson. You were completely healed at this point, and feeling healthier than ever. Karen, Mary-Beth, and Tilly had welcomed you so kindly and you fell in easily with them, appreciating having some other women to talk to. Even Sadie who claimed to dislike domestic work, would join the four of you, even if it was just for a little while to tell stories and laugh. 

You didn't have too many girl friends growing up, as you weren't one for dresses and high society. You had preferred to be out riding, trying to learn how to hunt and shoot. Having a big brother only encouraged your non-lady like behavior, which Sadie saw fit to egg on at every opportunity. You were making friends, and quickly. 

The only one in the gang who seemed to not like you was Micah, not that it really bothered you. He slithered in and out of camp, throwing snide remarks as he went.

You were sitting with Abigail one day when Micah came over and had made a comment about how Abigail used to be a working girl, and he would be willing to pay if “her door was still open.” Abigail had come close to slapping him if Arthur hadn’t stepped in and made it clear that Micah should never speak to Abigail that way again. 

The longer you spent at the camp, it became clear to you that Arthur was the gang’s protector. He was Dutch’s right hand man, the one that was counted on to do what needed to be done. It was a lot of pressure to be under, to continuously be the one that everybody turned to. 

It was admirable the way he carried this burden gracefully without complaint. Trying to squash your feelings for him was becoming a difficult task, the more time you spent together. What the girls had told you about Arthur's former lover was causing turmoil inside you. You weren't jealous, but you were angry about how she continued to treat Arthur, years after their relationship had ended.  

You sat at one of the camp tables, a thick rock in hand, sharpening the hunting knife you’d purchased with your take from the stage coach robbery with Sean. Your old knife had seen better days, and you were happy to replace it with a newer, more updated version.  It was a gorgeous weapon; you’d had more than enough money to get a personalized engraving on the handle of the knife, along with an ornate Victorian design that was carefully cut into the metal of the blade. You fingered the dark ebony handle where you’d asked the gunsmith to carve a howling wolf into the wood. 

“Hey Jane.” a raspy voice startled you as you looked up to see John standing at the edge of the table watching you. 

“John, how are you?” You asked as the outlaw sat down across from you. 

“Eh, I’ve had better days,” he answered with a disgruntled tone, “Say, have you been to Rhodes yet?” 

“No, not yet. Been steering clear of any major towns at the moment, why?” You replied, placing the knife down on the table. 

“Thinkin’ of heading in to check out some tip at the train station. I thought you might be needin’ some new clothes.” 

“What makes you say that?” 

“Well, I’ve only seen you in one jacket and pair of pants, except when you borrowed an old dress from Mary-Beth. Thought you could use some more versatile gear,” John shrugged, “No offense meant.”

“None taken,” You gave a small smile, “I wouldn’t mind grabbing some new pants and boots, at least. I still got some money left over from the stage job.”

“Sounds good. There’ll be more where that came from, by the way. If you stay, I mean.” John said, getting up from the table and motioning you to join. 

“Y’all keep saying that, I ain’t decided yet.” You responded, rising to join him. 

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Faraday," John waved his hand at you, "I think you'll come around though. You would've left already if you were actually goin' to go." 

You frowned, you knew he was right, but you still were unsure of what to do. 

 

Were you really cut out to be an outlaw? Was it the right path for you? It was certainly an illegal one, but that didn't matter to you much. You were on the wrong side of the law at this point, anyway, even if you toed the gray area between moral and immoral. You could see most of the Van Der Linde gang were good people, deep down. Not that saving your soul was important to you anymore either, after killing, robbing, acting out of vengeance the past few years; you were as good as damned, anyway. 

You and John strolled up to the horses where you saw Arthur standing beside Athena, also looking like he was preparing to head out. He raised his eyebrows when he saw you, a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. 

"Well, well, Miss Faraday, are you comin' into Rhodes with us, too?" He asked, securing one of the straps on Athena's saddle. 

"If you don't mind," You replied, "John invited me, reckon I could use a trip to the general store to get some new clothes."

Arthur nodded, "Well you are more than welcome to join. 'Fraid it might be a bit borin' for you, but if you've never been to Rhodes, we should show you 'round. It's a funny little town." 

John gave Arthur a knowing look that Arthur ignored as he climbed up onto Athena. The three of you rode out of camp down the trail and began your short journey to Rhodes. 

 

\------------ _Hours later_ \-------------

 

"Why do-don't you just _stay_ , Faraday?" John asked, his words slurred, "Everyone likes ya, I know it." 

The three of you sat in the Rhodes saloon, an hour or two deep into drinking. You'd lost track of how many shots of whiskey you'd had, how many beers you'd downed. You had picked up a few different pairs of shirts and pants from the general store, as well as a new pair of boots. Arthur suggested that you all should head back after getting the tip at the train station, but John insisted on grabbing 'just one drink' at the saloon, and it had turned into something else completely as the three of you were getting drunker and drunker. Just one drink had turned into many. 

"It's not _just_ that, John," You drained your shot of whiskey and hissed at its sharp taste, "I don't wanna bring any of my problems. Ya'll seem to have enough things to worry about as is. What, with the Pinkerton agents I've been hearin' Dutch and the girls ramble on about, and the fact that Colm O'Driscoll and Dutch actually have a proper blood feud goin' on. I don't know if you should have anyone else involved in all this, I don't want to make things complicated." 

"So, you just scared then!" John accused, leaning across the bar, grabbing an almond from the bowl, and throwing it at you. 

"I ain't scared! I just..." You swatted the almond away, struggling to find the words to express yourself properly.  

Truth was, you _were_ scared. You didn't want to get attached. To see more people get hurt and go through the pain of loss again. To get rejected by the first people you met in years who made you feel like a human being again. You didn't want to fall for anyone who couldn't fall back. 

 

"Nobody's sayin' you're scared, Jane," Arthur murmured, putting a hand on your shoulder, "John's just drunk and tryin' to find somethin' else to think about besides his problems at home." 

You looked at Arthur's hand on your shoulder, and then into his eyes, down to his lips...

This. This is what you were scared of. Falling for the man who you had saved, who had saved you, and whose heart wasn't free to be given away. 

Your thoughts flashed back to weeks ago in the camp when you had been helping Karen, Tilly, and Mary-Beth with chores, the day they introduced a topic that would plague your mind for weeks. 

_"Mary's family never agreed with Arthur's lifestyle. They decided an outlaw wasn't good enough for their Mary, and she went along with it. Up and married some other man, the last I heard...It was a long time ago, before any of us fell in with the gang, but Hosea was there. He told me about it one night. It was hard on Arthur for a very long time....I think he's never really healed from it....And sadly, I think he still has hope."_ Tilly's words echoed in your head and had been playing on repeat. 

 

You had zoned out in the memory, and John was waving his hand in front of your face, bringing your focus back into the present. 

"Hellooooo, anyone in there?" He laughed drunkenly, rocking back and forth on his bar stool.  

"Sorry, just was lost in my thoughts," You felt your cheeks flushing. 

"What's been goin' on up in that head o' yours?" Arthur asked, his eyes on you, leaning on his elbow and resting his chin in his hands. 

"Just tryin' to decide what I should do." You said quietly, looking back at the small, empty shot glass that you fiddled with between your fingers. 

"You wanna know what I think?" He gave you a knowing look. Without waiting for you to respond, he stated, "I think you should take another shot o' whiskey with me, and you should stay." 

Everything that had brought you misery for the past two years, every choice you'd made, it brought you here. It had to be for a reason. Maybe you were just drunk, maybe this was the truth that you'd known all along. You heart swelled at Arthur's words, despite the questionable relationship you two had formed, despite the O'Driscoll's, and your brother, and morality. You wanted to be with the gang. It was settled. 

The bartender nodded at you as he refilled your glasses. 

"Well, then I guess it's decided," You smiled at him and raised your tiny glass, "I'll stay." 

The two of you clinked glasses and took a shot. It burned down your throat, but you felt elated. You turned to look at John, who was slumped on the counter, seemingly now asleep, and giggled, "Is he always like this?" 

Arthur signaled the bartender for another beer and shook his head, "Marston? Nah, I think he's just havin' a hard time right now. He needed this. So did I." 

"Are you okay, Arthur?" You asked, the smile fading from your face.

"Jus' worried about everyone. We've been movin' so often lately, and I think it's been hard on folks. Dutch hasn't really been himself in a long while. Things have been...goin' wrong, lawmen after us, just...a lot do deal with." He unloaded all his worries, and you wondered how many other people knew he felt this way. 

"Have you talked to Dutch about it?" 

"Tried to, but not too much comes of it. He says he has a plan to get us all outta here, we just need to keep faith, stay loyal, make more money, but every time we think we're gettin' close, something happens and I feel like we're right back where we started. He's under a lot of stress, feel like he's not seein' straight all the time." He sighed, taking a big gulp of beer. 

"Arthur," You began, turning to fully face him, "You're probably sick of people tellin' you that things will be okay. I don't know if they will, I want to hope so, but I ain't gonna lie to you or preach some dream either. But I am here for you, and I will try my best to help however I can. Whether it's gettin' more money for the gang, or you just needin' someone to talk to." 

"Thank you," Arthur inhaled deeply, "Y'know, feels like you're some kinda angel sent here. First savin' me from the O'Driscoll's and then sittin' here listenin' to me complain like a bitter old man." He laughed dryly. You were starting to feel brave, the drunker you got. 

"Good lord, Arthur, you are not old," You snickered, "And you're not complainin' neither. I ain't no angel. Just trying to make the best of a crazy situation. It seems like everyone leans on you, but you've got nobody to lean on for yourself. It's a damn crime, the pressure you're under, I want to be that, help, I mean, be there for you." Your words stumbled over each other incoherently as you began to truly feel the weight of intoxication coming down on you. 

Arthur looked at you thoughtfully, albeit drunkenly, then, and took his hat off his head, running a hand through his hair, "Hey, why ain't you ever married, Jane?" 

 

The question caught you off guard and you sat up a bit straighter, considering his question, "I just ain't ever really, had anyone in that way," You replied awkwardly, "It was always just my brother and me since I was a teenager. He was the protective big brother, I guess, I just never had the chance." 

"So you ain't ever been in love?" Arthur asked, taking another swill of beer, his eyes on you. 

There was a time since your brother died when you had met someone. 

Another bounty hunter in a saloon who was charming, charismatic, handsome; he had dangerous qualities which any woman would easily swoon over. One night, you had. You were both in Blackwater, talking in the saloon about the bounties you were in town to pick up. You'd spent hours upon hours talking, from the afternoon, deep into the night. He had swatted away any working girl, or any girl for that matter, who'd tried to interrupt you both, listened to you, absorbed your words energetically, and had shown such interest in you like you'd never experienced. He spoke to you like you were the only person in the room, and you ate it up like a starved dog. 

You'd gotten drunk, let your guard down after he told you how he'd lost his sister to typhoid years prior, and took up bounty hunting to stifle the pain of loss. You had opened up to him; you told him about your brother, about the O'Driscoll's, and about the bounty you were planning on going after the next day. You had gone to the room upstairs together, but you blacked out from all you'd drunk that night. You didn't know what happened, but it didn't matter. The next morning, he was gone, and so was the bounty poster you'd been carrying with you. You felt stupid, naive, used, and suddenly you cared not for this trade any longer. It was one night; meaningless by many other people's standards, but not yours. You felt a connection for the first time since Josh died before it was violently cut as easy as a thread by a knife. 

 

"I-I suppose I don't know," You paused, "Have you?" 

Arthur scoffed at that, "Well, I was engaged once."

"It don't really answer the question though." 

"I suppose I don't know anymore either. It was such a long time ago. So much has happened since then. To me, to her." He sighed. You could see the pain in his eyes and it made you so angry at Mary; how could she hurt someone like Arthur?  

"Well, you know what they say - 'time heals all!' If you believe that bullshit. You wanna talk about it?" You offered, nodding at the bartender who offered you another shot of whiskey. 

"You know," Arthur replied, his eyes heavy with drunkenness, irises getting swallowed up by his pupils, "It don't matter! She don't matter no more..." 

You just looked at each other and it felt as if, for a moment, the world had quieted again, and you were the only two people in the bar. 

The silence was broken, however, by a hand on your other shoulder. You turned and saw an unfamiliar man, clearly drunker than the three of you. 

"Hi, m-ma'am." The liquor was coming off of his breath like deadly fumes.  

"Do I know you?" You asked with annoyance. 

"N-no," He burped, "But I'd like to...you know, yo-you're awful pretty, I-I got some money-"

"Okay, that's enough, partner," Arthur cut him off, moving between you and the drunk man protectively, "The lady and I are havin' a conversation." 

"Who're you supposed to be, friend? I'm a god damn Gray, I run this town!" The man exclaimed rudely. 

"I sure as shit ain't your friend, partner, but don't worry 'bout me. You just leave her alone," Arthur snarled at him, "Or we're goin' to have a problem." 

The man looked back and forth between you and Arthur and then scoffed, "Fine, this bitch ain't worth it."

That's all it took for Arthur to sock him in the jaw, sending him falling back and crashing to the floor. The bartender slammed on the counter, startling sleeping John to jerk back up straight. 

"Come on, no more trouble in here. Go walk it off." The bartender scolded. 

"We were just leavin'," Arthur drained the rest of his beer and returned his hat to his head, "Come on, you two." He helped you off the bar stool and nudged John, who was barely cognizant of what was happening. 

 

The three of you left the saloon and stumbled to your horses who were hitched outside. 

"Not sure if we should ride this drunk...but hey, life is short...." Arthur stumbled up to Athena and leaned on her for support. He looked at John who was having a hard time getting up onto his horse and chuckled, "Marston, I've never seen you this drunk. It's fuckin' hilarious." 

You began to laugh at John's sad attempt to mount, and it was contagious. Within seconds, all three of you were laughing hysterically outside the saloon like a group of fools. 

 

Eventually, the laughter had subsided and you began riding back to camp, the night's cold air against your skin. It luckily wasn't too far of a ride back, and you had made in nearly ten minutes, the majority of which had been spent in silence, your mind filled with the happenings of the evening. Arthur wanting you to stay, divulging to you his deeper worries about the gang, and then keeping that drunkard off you...it gave you some kind of false hope, and you couldn't help but read into it, even if he was probably just being a gentleman. 

 

You had made it back safely and hitched Val on the post. Arthur helped John to his tent. You stood, brushing your horse as you watched Arthur make his way back towards you, the corners of his mouth turned up in a grin,"Not sure if getting John drunk will solve his problems or make more, but I guess we'll see, Abigail won't be too happy." He shrugged with a chuckle. 

You gave Val a pat and smiled back at Arthur. 

"Thanks for bringin' me along tonight. I didn't know if you wanted it to be a guy's evening or somethin' but John asked me to come," You began, but Arthur held up his hand.

"I wanted you to come, I'm glad you did. It was nice to be able to talk to someone who was neutral about all this business," He explained, "And, well, you're a lot of fun. I like bein' around you, Jane, I'm happy you're stayin'." 

You started to feel butterflies in your stomach and were glad it was dark because you were surely blushing. 

"Someone has to watch after you boys," You teased, "I like spendin' time with you too, Arthur. You know-" You took a deep breath before being rudely interrupted again. 

"Ooh, what's going on over here!" Micah slinked out from behind a tree behind you two, obviously listening in on the conversation, "The ol' cowpoke and the new girl." 

"Oh, fuck off, Micah" Arthur growled, "No business of yours." 

"Oh come on, Morgan, a new one in camp, of course, it's my business," Micah sneered, "Dutch got me lookin' after more things now, giving me more responsibility, plannin' and such, I gotta know who's clean to run with us." 

"Micah, I think I've made it obvious I'm not tryin' to start trouble, I like everyone here, 'cept maybe you." You shot back, prompting a loud laugh from Arthur. 

"Well you stick around long enough, and we'll see to who you are loyal, missy," Micah replied, "Gotta prove your worth, Faraday. See you kids later." He slithered off back into the main area of the camp, leaving you and Arthur alone again. 

 

You stared after Micah, shaking your head, "What is with that guy?" 

Arthur just sighed, "He ain't worth a worry, ain't worth your time," He shifted his weight back and forth, "Anyway, I guess, uh, it's probably time to get some rest." 

Slightly disappointed the mood of the conversation had been ruined, you nodded, "Yeah, I suppose so. We can always talk about this stuff, y' know, since I'm stayin'." 

Arthur's mouth twitched into an easy smile, "Yeah, I'm lookin' forward to it. I'll see you in the mornin'." With one last look, he turned and walked back to his tent, leaving you standing with your horse. 

You turned back to her, resting your head into her neck and groaned, "Val, girl, what am I doing?" 

It had only been a few weeks at the Van Der Linde camp but it already felt like months. You had begun developing feelings for Arthur quickly, and it was becoming harder and harder to ignore them. It was an odd thing, the feelings that had crept up on you amidst everything else happening in your life. For the first time in a long while, you weren't thinking about where to move next, about hunting the O'Driscoll boys down, about your quest for revenge. For the first time, you were thinking about new beginnings, and people to share it with. And it scared the hell out of you. 

 


	4. A Sense of Normalcy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feeling bold in your intoxication, you gave the brim of his hat a little flick, watching in amusement as it tumbled off his head into the grass.  
> "What'd you do that for?" Arthur asked incredulously, but not without humor.  
> "Stop hiding," You grinned, "What's going on with you?"  
> Arthur sighed, his eyes downcast, "I just had a bad day. Ran into some Lemoyne raiders and Micah made some real trouble, nearly led them back into camp, then Strauss keeps askin' me to collect a debt from some fuckin' farmer, been puttin' it off. Got in an argument with Dutch 'n Micah over somethin' stupid, and then I came out of his tent and saw..." He cleared his throat and trailed off.  
> "What?" You asked. He didn't say anything for a few seconds, before releasing a small sigh.  
> "Saw you 'n Sean, it's stupid," He put his hat back on his head, setting it in place, "I don't know. Saw his arm 'round you and I just, I don't know, he uh, does that a lot."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooohkay friends. So it's been a lot of exposition, but pretty much from the next chapter on, it will be action upon action. 
> 
> This chapter isn't crazy long or anything, but I hope it provides some interesting addition to what's been built up so far. 
> 
> As always, thank you so much for kudos and comments - I really appreciate it! :)

 It was dark and eerily quiet. You were creeping through an O'Driscoll camp, your knife in one hand and your Schofield in the other. You were alone but you could feel eyes on you from all sides, yet nobody approached. The camp was familiar - it appeared to be the same one you had found Arthur in weeks ago. Brows furrowed, you crept down into the unguarded basement again, not sure what to expect.  

 You saw someone hanging from the ceiling, the same way Arthur had been, but it wasn't him; this person was skinnier and smaller, with a bag over their head. There was a man standing with his back to you, seemingly torturing the poor soul. He didn't acknowledge your presence as you walked up behind him. 

 

"Hey!" You cried out, grabbing his shoulder and turning him around to face you. You dropped both your gun and knife as your brother turned to look at you, blood covering his face, and a wicked smile spread across his lips. He looked positively mad with the way he grinned at you, a sickness in his eyes. His irises and the whites of his eyes turned completely black as he laughed loudly, sounding inhuman. 

"Josh-" You began but were cut off as he took his knife and stabbed you in the stomach, before disappearing into thin air. Blood was pouring out of you, but you felt no pain, just utter shock, and weariness as you began to lose all feeling in your body. 

The prisoner in front of you shuddered violently and you used what strength you had left to reach forward and pull the bag off their head before you fell to your knees in front of them. With the rest of your body begging you to lay down and give up, you forced yourself to look up, only to see a person that looked exactly like you now lifelessly dangling from the ceiling, eyes closed. It was you. You screamed, and the body in front of you opened its eyes, screaming with you. 

You woke with a jolt, to find yourself back in the camp, in the safety of your tent. Birds were chirping, sunlight was shining faintly through the trees, breaking through the mist that came off the lake. 

"Fuck..." You wiped the sweat off your brow as you sat up, heart beating a mile a minute. The dream was a huge contrast to the reality that you woke up to, as you took in the sight of Clemens Point in the morning. 

 It was the most peaceful place you had ever lived, and despite the fact that you had joined a gang on the run, the camp had begun to really feel like home. You'd begun to decorate your area with spoils of your few adventures with the gang. The first buck you had hunted, Arthur helped you cut the antlers off to make a hanging adornment for the tree that stood next to your tent. A rug that you had looted from a Lemoyne raider camp with Javier and Sean laid the foundation for your bedroll to rest upon. Arthur and Charles had promised to help you build it up into a more comfortable lean-to. There was a small flower necklace that Jack had made for you a few days ago, which was the most beautiful thing you had ever been given in your life. The tent was filled with little memories of your short time with the gang but made you feel as if you were already part of the dysfunctional family.  

Stifling a yawn, you walked over and poured yourself some coffee, trying to shake yourself of the nightmare and not to think about what it could have meant. The camp seemed a little empty and you felt disappointed when you didn't see Arthur hanging around. You opted to go down to the lake's edge and sit with your coffee to enjoy the view of the water, the late morning sun shining brilliantly on the surface. Abigail was sitting on a log just staring out at the water, a perplexed look on her face. 

"Hey, Abigail," You walked over to her, "Mind if I join you?" 

She looked up and smiled, "Hey, Jane, 'course not, sit down. How are you gettin' on here?"

"Pretty well, I think," You sipped your coffee and sat down next to her, "Everyone's been so welcoming to me. Making me feel at home." 

"I'm glad to hear it." 

"How are you doing? Everything okay with Jack?" 

Abigail was still smiling but her eyes were sad, "Oh, you know, he's such a sweet boy, but he's growin' up too fast. I wish he could have had a normal childhood." 

"You know, a normal childhood can be overrated. I'd dare say I had one, and look how I turned out," You offered with a small laugh, "Jack learns a lot from everyone here, Hosea is teaching him how to read. Arthur told me he took Jack fishing once. He has a big family who cares about him and would do anything to protect him. All things considered, I know it's not the ideal place you'd want to raise a kid, but it could also be worse." 

"And John, I just feel like he's somewhere else, doesn't want to spend time with me or Jack..." she continued with a sigh. 

"I don't know John that well yet, but I know he loves you, Abigail, and I think, honestly, he is just scared to _actually_ be a father. I don't think he knows how. I think he's afraid of failing you and Jack," You replied, putting your hand on her shoulder, "It'll be okay. He will grow into it, I really do think so." 

"Oh, Jane, thank you. I needed to hear that." She seemed to release a bit of the tension she was holding, "Sometimes hearing it from the outside helps, I just get so into my head sometimes." 

You smiled, "No problem. You've been so kind to me, and I want to help where I can, even if it's just a little reassurance." 

 

The two of you sat for a while and talked. She told you a little more about when she had joined the gang, about getting pregnant with and having Jack, and about her opinion of the events that had brought the gang here. It was a crazy story and not without action, loss, and perseverance. It still blew your mind how far the gang had come, through being chased by Pinkertons, face-offs with the local law and O'Driscoll's...it made you realize you had gotten quite lucky in your run-ins with them. 

What seemed like hours later, you heard the ruckus of people returning. Looking over your shoulder, you saw Arthur, John, and Micah riding back in, the latter cackling wildly as John and Arthur both looked disgruntled. Abigail left to see what was going on with John as he walked straight to his tent and closed the flap. Arthur and Micah went straight to Dutch's lodging, and the cover was drawn there as well, leaving you with your imagination to wonder about what was going on. 

 

You got along well with everyone, save for Micah, who still seemed overly suspicious of you and increasingly rude whenever you managed to be anywhere in his direct line of sight. There was something you didn't like about him, and certainly, he appeared to feel the same about you. Frowning, you turned back to the lake, watching Jack wander down to the water and splash around a bit in the fresh, shallow water. It seemed like folks were in an odd mood today, and you didn't know why. Hoping to not be caught up in whatever drama was happening, you went back to your tent and grabbed a book out of your satchel, Rambles Through Woods and Plains. Arthur had lent it to you when you expressed an interest in trying to get more use of herbs and plants you collected. 

You walked back with your book to the spot on the log and laid down on it, keeping an eye on Jack as he played in the water. Flipping through the pages, you decided to make little notes about where you found a few of the plants for future reference. Every now and then,  you would glance over to Dutch's tent to see the flap still closed. Pouting, you turned back to your book and continued to read.  A shadow suddenly appeared over your head, startling you and nearly causing you to fall over off the log. 

 

"Hello beautiful Jane, what're you gettin' up to over here?" Sean asked, looking at you upside down. 

Steadying yourself, you sat up, blowing your hair out of your face, "Readin' about some plants." 

"Boring! Want to do something fun?" He was like a puppy dog, never giving up and asking everything with such excitement in his voice. 

"Like what?" You asked as he sat down on the log next to you.

"Dunno, rob another stage, rob a house, have a romp in my tent, just some ideas." He suggested with a lascivious gleam in his eye. 

"Sean! We're friends." 

"What? You can't blame a guy for tryin'. You still don't say no." 

"I say no every time." You rolled your eyes, "You just don't listen." 

"You're right, I don't listen!" He laughed wildly, swinging an arm around your shoulders, "And I never will!" 

"You are ridiculous, you know that." You replied with a smile. You couldn't help it; Sean was fun and had welcomed you with open arms. He was one of the nicest people you'd ever met, even if he was also the most mischievous. You could see why Karen liked him. 

"So, how about it? Maybe not a romp today," He winked, "But we could do a little thievin', could be fun." 

 

Suddenly, you saw Arthur storm out of Dutch's tent and the two of you locked eyes. He took a look at Sean sitting with his arm around you, his eyes narrowing as he turned around and walked off the other way. As much as you wanted to go see what was going on with him, you had a feeling he needed to cool off from whatever altercation had happened with Dutch and Micah.  You watched as he made a beeline straight to his horse, mounted her, and rode off out of the camp. 

You turned back to Sean, gently shrugging his arm off your shoulder, "Maybe tomorrow, Sean, everyone seems a bit on edge today." 

Sean groaned, "Fine, fine, but you're havin' a drink with me later."

"Sean, we drink nearly every night." You replied pointedly. 

"Ah, you're learnin'," He stood up, ruffling the top of your hair, "See you later." 

 

An hour or two later the sun was starting to get low, and you heard the sound of hooves as Arthur rode back into camp, looking a bit more relaxed than before. When Arthur was around Athena, he couldn't help but be in a good mood, and you knew this was probably the best time to go talk to him. 

"Hey, Arthur," You walked up, clutching the book to your chest, "Hey girl." You reached out and pet his beautiful mare as she leaned into your touch. 

"Hey," He said shortly, dismounting his horse and hitching her to the post, "What can I do for you, Jane?" 

"Nothing, I..." You hadn't really seen Arthur in a bad mood like this before and weren't sure how to proceed, "I just wanted to see how you were doing. And I've been goin' through this book, and thought maybe we could go look for some of these herbs sometime, try to make something interesting with them." 

Arthur focused on Athena as he brushed her hair, but looked at you out of the corner of his eye, "Sure." 

"Are you okay, Arthur?" You asked, frowning, arms dropping to your side. 

He turned to you, scratching the back of his neck, a tick which you had learned over time was a dead give away of him feeling uncomfortable. 

"Yeah, I'm fine, sorry," He gave a small sigh, and what seemed like a forced smile, "How are you?" 

"Erm, I'm okay, I guess. Could use a drink though, if you'd be interested? I think a few folks are already setting down around the fire." 

Arthur gave a nod, his eyes shifting to the campfire, "Sure, I could use one, too." 

 

Clemens Point was especially warm tonight. You and Arthur walked over to the campfire, joining Sean, Charles, Javier, Sadie, and Bill, who were passing a few bottles of whiskey and rum between the group. The air was thick and humid with mist coming off of the lake, filling the open space of the campsite. This was one thing you had trouble getting used to in the south.  After about an hour of laughing, drinking, and telling stories, the combination of whiskey and rum was overheating your senses. prompting you to take off your hat and shrug off your coat. Running a hand though your hair and shaking it free, you felt loose and airy, a way you hadn't felt in a very long time. You were undoubtedly the drunkest you'd ever been, and you couldn't stop yourself from glancing across the fire at Arthur, who also looked inebriated beyond repair. He hadn't sat next to you tonight as he usually would have. 

 

"You going to take off the rest of it, then?" Sean piped up with a giggle. 

You choked on the rum that had been sliding down your throat, "Excuse me?" 

"Hat's off, coat's off, keep it goin', love!" Sean cackled drunkenly, punching Bill in the arm, "Can't be the only one who wants'a see that, eh?" 

 

All eyes were on you, including Arthur who had a very dark and hazy look in his eyes, laden with interest and intoxication. He looked like he was in another world. When  you locked eyes with him, he looked away suddenly. 

"Fuck off," You laughed, shifting your eyes to Sean and feeling a bit of heat rise to your face, "I'll not be getting naked for you, damn bastard." 

"You're a pig, MacGuire ." Sadie scoffed. Arthur seemed to shake himself out of whatever thought he was having, but still looking the drunkest you had ever seen him. 

"Ah, come on ladies, you know I'm just a fool, and the liquors takin' hold o'me," Sean replied with a cheeky twinkle in his eye, "The devil's got a hand on my tongue, it's not me talkin'." 

"Don't let Karen hear you." Charles commented, taking a long sip of whiskey. 

"Where is dear Miss Jones," Sean jumped up from his tree stump, wobbling a bit as he stood on it, looking for Karen as if he were a sea captain searching for land, "Oooooh Kaaaren."  He hopped down from the stump and stumbled off. 

"He is a special one..." Javier cracked, reaching behind him to grab his guitar and strum a bit, filling the night air with pleasant, ambient sounds. 

 

Bill cleared off, as he believed the fun had disappeared along with Sean. The group went back to smaller, isolated conversations. Sadie and Charles began quietly chatting next to you about some prospective job that they had been planning for the past few days. You got up, moved to the other side of the embers, and plopped down next to Arthur. 

Taking a deep breath, you turned to Arthur, who sat back, leaning one arm on his bent knee, with his other leg stretched out in front of him. 

 

"You've been quiet, Arthur." You remarked, unfolding your legs from beneath you and extending them toward the fire. 

He looked at you from under the brim of his hat, a habit that you had begun to like way too much. 

"Just a little, a bit drunk, I guess," He replied, licking his lips, "Sean's a damned fool." 

You laughed nervously, "Yeah, he is. That's his way though, I suppose," You watched affectionately as Sean continued to stumble around the camp, "He's a good one at heart." 

Arthur didn't respond, just tipped his head downwards a little bit, letting his hat cover what was visible of his face. 

 

Feeling bold in your intoxication, you gave the brim of his hat a little flick, watching in amusement as it tumbled off his head into the grass. 

"What'd you do that for?" Arthur asked incredulously,  but not without humor. 

"Stop hiding," You grinned,  "What's going on with you?" 

Arthur sighed, his eyes downcast, "I just had a bad day. Ran into some Lemoyne raiders and Micah made some real trouble, nearly led them back into camp, then Strauss keeps askin' me to collect a debt from some fuckin' farmer, been puttin' it off. Got in an argument with Dutch 'n Micah over somethin' stupid, and then I came out of his tent and saw..." He cleared his throat and trailed off. 

"What?" You asked. He didn't say anything for a few seconds, before releasing a small sigh. 

"Saw you 'n Sean, it's stupid," He put his hat back on his head, setting it in place, "I don't know. Saw his arm 'round you and I just, I don't know, he uh, does that a lot." 

You felt frozen in place, "You know, there's nothin' going on with Sean and me," You paused, "Despite what it looks like sometimes. Sean...likes to flirt. That's all. I think of him as one of my best friends here, but it ain't more than that." 

"But when you guys went to rob that stage-"

"He was just bein' friendly, tryin' to show me the ropes. Nothin' happened. And nothin' is goin' to happen. We're just friends." 

Arthur looked over with a slightly doubtful look, "Really?" 

You smiled at him and put your hand on his shoulder, "Really. Please trust me on that." 

Arthur's expression softened and you could see his posture relax instantly, "Good to know." 

 

You didn't want to press him on what it could mean that he was uncomfortable at the thought of you and Sean being romantic.

You remembered the pang of jealousy when you had learned about Arthur and Mary's relationship from the girls, but you had never truly spoken about it with Arthur.  You had offered in Rhodes, but he said she didn't matter, and now here he was, asking suspiciously about you and Sean. What did it mean? You didn't want to bring it up, not now. It wasn't a discussion for tonight. 

 

Instead, you passed him the whiskey and watched the way he tipped it into his mouth, licking his lips before taking a swill.  You let the night roll on, as you and Arthur rejoined the group, laughing and drinking and singing to the tune of Javier's guitar. 


	5. Valentine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ground beneath you turned from mud and dust to gleaming grass as the five of you hurriedly rode out of Valentine. As you made it over the small hill that opened up into the valley, it was clear that hiding would not be an option. The only chance you had was to outrun them. The open plains were filled with the sound of gunshots, horses neighing wildly, pained shouts, and suddenly you realized that this is what running for your life felt like. There was a thin line between dying and surviving and now you were flirting with both sides. 
> 
> You frantically grabbed your Schofield out of your offhand holster, wielding the two guns in both hands as you took a deep breath before shifting your weight to look fully behind you, and aiming at the lawmen that seemed to be surrounding you from all sides. Arthur was doing the same, gunning down the riders one by one, but there were far too many. You shot wildly, yelling for Val to speed up in hopes of gaining more ground against them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all! I know it's been a while since I posted and I'm super sorry - I actually moved abroad so it's been a little hectic the past month and a half but I'm settled and will be back in a regular writing schedule...I haven't forgotten about this story, and I've had time to think about where I want to take it as well as getting back in RDR2 after a little hiatus. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this next chapter...some action ahead ;)

 

Small, light raindrops sprinkled your skin, gently waking you up the next morning. Your head was pounding and you didn't remember going to sleep last night, nor making it back to your tent. Your eyes focused and you saw the campfire in front of you, a tiny flame still burning despite the rain, from the evening before. Bringing your head up straight, you noticed Arthur's coat laid carefully on top of you like a blanket. Turning slowly, you looked up and saw Arthur still asleep next to you, and realized you had fallen asleep against him last night. You couldn't help but grin as you watched his chest heave slowly; just the sight of him made you feel warm inside. 

As you looked around, it appeared to be still very early and most of the tents were still drawn. Nobody else seemed to be awake yet. With a tiny yawn, you decided to stay in place, and nestled your head back against Arthur's shoulder, closing your eyes. He made a small grunting noise before his steady breathing continued. 

You woke up sometime later to the sun now shining, hearing the comings and goings of those in camp, people going about their daily business. Eyelids fluttering open, you saw Arthur's coat still draped over you and his legs stretched out next to you. Except for this time, you could see his journal sitting open in his lap, his hands making careful movements to scrawl in the pages. You shifted and sat up straight, prompting Arthur to startle and turn to you. 

"M-mornin'," Arthur stuttered, his eyes bright as they met yours, "How're you feeling?" 

"My head hurts a bit, but all things considered, pretty well," You smiled at him, "How long have you been awake?" 

"Maybe an hour, I don't know, I didn't want to disturb you," He shrugged, "Was kinda nice, actually. Dutch's had me running around so much lately and I had some time for myself to just write and draw a little bit." 

 

You felt relief at hearing Arthur's words; he was so busy and stressed lately and you knew how much he enjoyed to do the little things and take his mind off the drama of the gang.  You knew he was a complicated man, and you enjoyed watching him find an escape in something as simple as writing and sketching.  Whether it was plants, animals, people, or buildings - it didn't matter, he loved to jot down random thoughts or quickly draw scenes that he found interesting.  On a few occasions when you had gone hunting or just out riding somewhere, he would always stop for a minute here and there to admire different animals, committing them to memory through art. 

 

"Well, thank you for letting me rest on you," You let out a small laugh, "I didn't plan on falling asleep here." 

"Was no problem, I enjoyed the company, even if you were asleep." He replied, closing his journal as you shifted to take a peek.  

"What were you drawing?" You asked curiously. 

"Oh, nothin' for you to worry about," He exhaled, "Just my thoughts." 

You were about to speak up when Karen and Bill walked over to the both of you. 

"Hey, you two," Karen cooed, giving you a knowing look, "We got a job for you." 

"What is it?" Arthur sat up, folding his arms over his chest. 

"Well," Bill began excitedly, "We was thinkin'...we should go back to Valentine." 

"We sure as shit should _not_  go back to Valentine," Arthur scoffed, "Walkin' into the wolves' den." 

 

You looked confused, as you didn't have the full details about what had gone down in Valentine; you'd only been told the gang had to flee the law from New Hanover before coming to Clemens Point. 

Arthur picked up on this and turned to you, "We shot Valentine to shit. Before your time." 

"Come on, Arthur! I've been plannin' this bank job since before all that happened! Lenny is on board, too!" Karen whined like a child being refused. 

"Yeah, plus they won't expect us there!" Bill added, "You don't wanna do nothin' no more, Morgan! You're turnin' yellow!" He huffed and crossed his arms, acting equally childish. 

Arthur turned to you, "What do you think?" 

"I mean, I've never been to Valentine with you lot, but if Karen's been planning it for so long, she has obviously thought it through," You said as Karen nodded eagerly at you, "Plus, Lenny is coming, so there _are_ a bunch of us. Strength in numbers." 

Arthur sighed, looking beaten, "Alright, let's do it then." 

Karen jumped up and down excitedly. Bill just cackled, "Now I know how to get you to do anythin', Morgan, just get Faraday to ask you!" 

 

You laughed and could have sworn you saw a bit of color appear on Arthur's cheeks. The pair of you stood up and went your separate ways to collect your gear. This would be a different kind of job from the stage robbery you'd done with Sean. It almost felt like a right of passage, going on a potentially big job and bringing money to the gang. Earning your keep, as Dutch always said. Maybe you would finally be fully accepted if this went well. You felt nervous and excited, butterflies building in your stomach.  

 

You started walking back to Karen, Lenny, and Bill as they were preparing their horses. Arthur joined you, matching your stride. 

"This is your first real robbery, right?" He asked, fixing his hat on his head. 

"Yeah," You admitted, "I can't help but be a bit nervous. Never robbed a bank before. Never actually really been in a bank before, now that I think of it." 

"You should take this," He took out a cattleman revolver that looked like it didn't get too much use and was in near-mint condition, "Just a spare gun in case you need two. Hope it don't come to that. And don't worry," He clapped a hand on your shoulder, "I got you, girl." 

The butterflies in your stomach seemed to multiply ten-fold. As you finally mounted your horses and started riding in formation, you hung towards the middle with Karen as Bill and Lenny took the rear, and Arthur led up front. 

 

"So, first bank job, huh?" Karen asked excitedly, keeping pace with you. 

"Yeah, I've never been part of anything like this before," You admitted, "Besides helping with one of the stages, I've only robbed from O'Driscoll's before, and that was me just sneakin' around their camp. Hardly holding up a bank." 

"You'll be fine!" She replied, "Plus I've been working on this plan for months, it's foolproof." 

You smiled, admiring Karen's confidence, "I sure hope so!" 

 

The group of you kept galloping steadily through the grasslands of Lemoyne and New Hanover until you passed over the rolling green hills and laid eyes on the small, dusty town of Valentine. It had been some time since you'd stepped foot in Valentine, but it looked the same as you'd remembered; the air smelled of livestock and mud, filled with the sounds of clucking chickens running about, pigs squealing and snorting. 

"Alright, y'all," Arthur spoke over his shoulder, "Just act natural...like we ain't shot this place up months ago." 

"You shot this town to shit, Morgan!" Bill shot back, which earned a scowl from Arthur. 

" _Nevertheless_ , act like we ain't about to ride through here and take 'em for what they're worth, a'right?" Arthur replied, rolling his eyes. 

Your pace slowed, and you found a quiet place for the horses to rest in the shade beside the gunsmith's shop. They would hopefully be out of the cross-hairs if anything went south. The five of you dismounted and quietly recounted the plan as you made your way toward the entrance to the bank. 

"Alright, keep it cool, and follow me, fellers." Karen said, "So we never decided, is it lost little girl you want or drunken harlot?" 

"Of course, you know I like the harlot." Arthur chuckled. 

"You're the only one," She smirked, "You're a bunch o' filthy sinners and heart breakers, the lot of you! Now, where is he?!" Karen exclaimed, getting into character as she started moving toward the bank. 

 

You took a deep breath, feeling more nervous as the seconds elapsed; time seemed to move slower the closer you got to the bank doors. 

"You alright?" Arthur asked, pulling his bandanna over the bottom half of his face. You nodded, doing the same, and reminding yourself that you'd be okay; Arthur was there. 

You heard Karen causing a ruckus inside. Bill and Arthur were talking but it was all a blur. Your adrenaline kicked in as you prepared for what was to come next. 

"Get your goddamn hands up, this is a goddamn robbery!" You heard Karen on the other side of the door. That was the signal; Bill and Lenny opened the door and Arthur strode in with you in tow. 

You moved to the side with Lenny, sticking your revolvers in the faces of the bank patrons, yelling at them to stay down and behave. Bill closed the doors behind you as you descended upon the helpless patrons like wolves to sheep. Your heart was pumping at the power you felt rushing through your veins as they cowered in front of you. 

Karen snatched the key to the teller's area behind the counter and unlocked the door for Arthur, who burst through, grabbing the teller by his shirt collar and slamming him against the wall, "You think we're here for fun?!" He bellowed, dragging him toward the back room where the vault was located. 

 

You knew Arthur was rough and tumble, but you had never really seen this side of him. You'd heard of his exploits from other members of the gang, but this was different. Right now, he was hard and vicious. He was ruthless in the way he tossed around the teller like a tiger with his dinner, appearing fully unhinged and like a completely different person. It may have been fucked up, but you were getting turned on from watching him behave like this, so contrasting from the way he usually acted around you. 

"Open the goddamn vault," You heard Arthur command, "Open it!" 

You kept your eyes on the patrons and your guns steady, hoping nobody would try anything stupid or heroic. Nobody needed to die today. 

"How's it going in there?" Karen called to Arthur, walking around the floor and pointing her gun at random citizens. 

"Too slowly! You better get the door open right now," Arthur snarled at the teller, "Too goddamn slow!" 

 

After a minute or so, you heard Arthur announce, "I'm in! Someone come make sure this suit behaves himself in here!" 

Bill disappeared to the backroom to help Arthur and you stayed up front with Lenny and Karen.  

You heard chatter between Bill and Arthur about the safes, hoping Arthur would hurry up with cracking them before the law arrived. Valentine was a small town, they would probably know something was going on by now. Within minutes, Arthur had managed to empty as many safes as he could, coming back to the main lobby with Bill. 

"I think, I think we're fine," Karen muttered breathlessly, "Come on, I'll lead the way."  She opened the main doors and, to your surprise, no lawmen were waiting for you. 

"Let's go. Everybody, stay calm," Arthur encouraged before turning back to the bank patrons,  "All o' you count to a hundred and keep your mouths shut, do you understand me?" 

 

He nodded at you before all five of you started walking away, quickly pulling your bandannas back down around your necks as not to arouse outside suspicion. Arthur fell in place beside you, glancing over, "You okay?" 

You nodded, "I'm fine, seems to have gone smoothly." 

"Well," Arthur took a deep breath, looking around at the common folks wandering the streets, "We ain't out of the woods yet, darlin'." 

All seemed calm outside and the group of you nearly made it to the grassy patch where you had left your horses before you heard someone scream, "Oh my god, somebody robbed the bank!" 

"Shit, shit, shit." Arthur murmured in a low voice, his fingers quickly moving toward his gun. You saw a couple of lawmen lock eyes with you and realized this was it. 

"Let's go!" Lenny yelled, as you all made a mad dash toward the horses and jumped on. 

 

The horses took off, and you gripped the sides of Valkyrie's body as hard as you could with your thighs, re-positioning to look over your shoulder and blindly fire at the lawmen in pursuit with Arthur's cattleman. It shot fast and sure, and you reminded yourself to thank Arthur for lending it to you if you survived this. 

The ground beneath you turned from mud and dust to gleaming grass as the five of you hurriedly rode out of Valentine. As you made it over the small hill that opened up into the valley, it was clear that hiding would not be an option. The only chance you had was to outrun them.  The open plains were filled with the sound of gunshots, horses neighing wildly, pained shouts, and suddenly you realized that this is what running for your life felt like. There was a thin line between dying and surviving and now you were flirting with both sides.  

You frantically grabbed your Schofield out of your offhand holster, wielding the two guns in both hands as you took a deep breath before shifting your weight to look fully behind you, and aiming at the lawmen that seemed to be surrounding you from all sides. Arthur was doing the same, gunning down the riders one by one, but there were far too many. You shot wildly, yelling for Val to speed up in hopes of gaining more ground against them. 

 

The sound you heard next was either one of salvation or undoing, you weren't sure which. The whistle of a train and chugging engine was growing louder as you spotted train tracks about a mile ahead of you. The train would either block your path or the law's, depending on who was quicker. 

"Come on, we gotta get across! We gotta beat the train, Morgan!" Bill shouted over his shoulder. Arthur was behind you; he wasn't pushing his horse as fast as she could go, he stayed last in formation. _I got you, girl,_ his words echoed in your head. He promised to watch you, and he was doing just that, even if it put him in danger. 

"Arthur, come on! Get up here!" You yelled, aiming behind him at your pursuers, trying to cover his back. 

He nodded and sped up to align beside you as you both barely made it across the tracks, feeling the rush of the train as it passed, seemingly inches behind you. 

 

Karen and Bill were whooping and hollering, Lenny just looked pale as a sheet. The law was nowhere to be seen, no doubt stuck on the other side of the tracks. 

"Alright," Arthur said, dismounting his horse, "I think we lost 'em." 

"Thank you, gentleman!" Karen grinned, "And lady, of course. That was-" 

"Stupid _and_ dangerous," Arthur chuckled, "Thank you, Bill." 

"We're alive! And we're paid! I don't see the problem!" Bill replied with a hearty laugh. 

"And that _is_  the problem. Still, this is a _very_ good take," Arthur said, dividing up the money, his eyes wide at the stacks of bills in his hands, "Dutch will be happy, even if it did come with a heap of trouble." He began handing out the cash and you took your share, never holding so much money in your life. 

"It was fun!" Karen added, Lenny nodding in agreement. 

"Maybe you're right,"  Arthur admitted, "Now go on, get out of here. I got some other business to attend to...don't head directly back to camp, and make sure you ain't followed!" 

 

Karen, Lenny, and Bill mounted up again. As you began to climb back onto your horse, Arthur grabbed your arm gently, "Hey, why don't you hang back, come with me?" 

"Sure," You said, heart still beating wildly. You saw Karen shoot you a wink before she peeled off from Bill and Lenny. The three of them disappeared into the trees. 

"Come on, let's get away from here," Arthur looked at you, "There's somethin' I gotta do." 

"Okay, hopefully nowhere near Valentine?" 

"Unfortunately, yes. Strauss has been naggin' me about collecting a debt from some farmer, the name of Downes. He lives a bit north of Valentine, but we'll keep our distance. There's somewhere I want to show you after we're done there." 

 

You rode mostly in silence for a while, keeping off the trail as you toed the perimeter around Valentine. It was risky coming back this way and you kept a weather eye on the road.  You were a complete stranger to the likes of debt collecting, but the idea of it made you feel uneasy. You weren't naive about what collecting owed money entailed, or what it asked of the collector himself. 

Fortunately, you had made it to the residence of Mr. Downes without an issue. You and Arthur dismounted as you laid eyes on a scrawny man tending some crops behind a fence. 

"Thomas Downes," Arthur called loudly, calling the man to startle and turn around, "You owe my associate, Mr. Strauss, some money. I'm here to collect." 

What little bit of color was in the man's face drained as he laid eyes on Arthur. You noticed how sunken in his face was, how discolored the flesh was around his eyes as you drew nearer...

 

"I-I-," He coughed violently, causing you to stop, "I uh, I ain't got it yet, mister." 

That cough, his appearance, it reminded you wildly of your mother in her final days. You felt anguish as you watched Arthur began stalking towards the man, Downes frantically backing away until he was against the fence. 

"Arthur!" You called out, rushing forward and grabbing his arm. 

Downes looked back and forth between you and Arthur, terror in his eyes. He began coughing again, this time you saw bits of blood fly from his mouth. You looked at Arthur, eyes pleading, as he halted his approach, "Arthur, don't. _Please_." 

 

He frowned as he eyed Downes, who was practically leaning his entire weight on the fence to keep himself standing, "Jane, Strauss has to get _somethin_ ' back." 

You gulped, and then thought of the money you had just stolen from Valentine, "How much do you owe, mister?" 

Arthur's head whipped to you so quickly you thought it would spin around. Downes gulped, staring at you both, his eyes weary, "T-twenty dollars, miss." 

You stuck your hand into your pocket and fished out a twenty-dollar bill. 

"Here," You said, grabbing Arthur's hand and forcing the money into his palm, "His debt is paid." 

Both Arthur and Downes looked at you, shocked. 

"Come on," You took Arthur's hand again, leading him out of the small pasture, "Let's go." 

"You better count yourself lucky this fine woman was here today," Arthur growled as you pulled him away from Downes, who still clung onto the fence, looking stunned. 

You took one look over your shoulder to the farmer again, who was yelling after you, with all the strength he had left, "Thank you, m-miss. Thank you!" 

 

Neither you nor Arthur said anything else as you walked away from Downes ranch, and mounted up again. 

"Come on, we'll head east and cut down," Arthur said quietly, spurring Athena, as you both rode away. 

The ride was spent mostly in silence again as you rode east across the Cumberland Forest. Valkyrie and Athena easily kept pace together, whinnying at each other here and there. After about an hour or two of riding, you came down a path and were greeted by the sight of a stunning lagoon, surrounded on one side by a tall ridgeline, and low forest on the other. Your eyes widened at the sight, and you didn't miss how Arthur smiled at your expression out of the corner of your eye. 

 

"O'Creagh's Run," Arthur looked around, admiring the beauty of the lake, "I hunted a huge bear with Hosea here months ago. It was the biggest bear I ever saw."

"It's gorgeous." You were in awe as you dismounted Val and walked to the water's edge.  The body of water was shining like a gemstone, and various animals were drinking or resting around its shores. It looked like paradise. The sun was beginning to go down, creating explosions of color in the sky, the warm hues lit up Arthur's features as he sighed, taking in the peaceful view.  

"Jane, what happened back there, at Downes' farm?" he asked as he turned to you. 

"Well," You began, taking a deep breath, "He reminded me of my mama before she died. I think he had tuberculosis, Arthur. He coughed up blood. I saw it. I spent enough time takin' care of my mama to know not to get near them when they have a fit like that. I got lucky with my mama, we kept her in a certain area of the house, but I just," You paused, "I couldn't have you go near him without knowing the truth about his condition. Something could have happened." 

 

Arthur nodded, "Well, I suppose I must thank you, for what might have happened if you weren't there. Why did you give up some of your take though, to help him? You didn't have to do that. You could have just told me." 

You smiled, "I know. I just, I felt bad for him. That's all. It's clear to me that he may not live that much longer. If it helps him to not have to pay that money back to Strauss, then at least he can die without that to worry about. It was such a small amount o' money compared to what we got. Makes no difference in the end to me." 

Arthur shook his head, "You really are somethin', Miss Faraday. Between that, and the job in Valentine, well, you were a natural. I can’t seem to figure you out. You sure you ain't never robbed a bank before? Or been chased by the law?" 

You laughed, "I swear, Mr. Morgan, my first time on both counts. I got to admit though, it was _fun_. I felt excited, scared, bad, good, all of the above. I really wasn't sure if we were gonna make it." 

"Well, that's the thing, that's the life," Arthur shook his head, smiling sadly, "To ride with us is to court death, tomorrow ain't promised for none of us. No security, no chance at normal, it ain't the first time we've been shot at, won't be the last. I've come so close to death so many times and yet, I'm still here," He looked at you, his eyes shining, "I'm just glad you're okay." 

 

The way he was staring at you, the sunset illuminating the flush in his face...

"Arthur..." Your voice was low and wanting, "I-" 

"Jane," Arthur looked away then suddenly, sighing, "I know you wouldn't be in this life if it weren't for your brother's death. And I know you're a _good_ person. I knew before that act back there at Downes ranch, but that really made it clear to me. You're _good_. We _ain't_. I know you can hold your own, I've seen you kill out of necessity, I've seen what you can do, but I don't want to see you turn into someone I know you ain't. Are you really ready to throw away the rest of your life to be with us? That night with John, I told you that you should stay and now I'm startin' to regret that decision."  

You felt as if a stone had dropped into your stomach, "You don't want me around? You want me to go?" 

"It ain't that at all, Jane, trust me," He replied quickly, "I just don't want you wasting your life when there ain't a need to. Really, I just...I reckon the money we just scored could be enough to get you started off somewhere new, I'd give you my take. You're young, you're not too well known or wanted by the Pinkertons like all of us, you have a real chance at startin' over. Just go out west, forget about the O'Driscoll's; they ain't out there. And seein' today the danger I put you in by bringin' you along, you could have gotten shot or-" 

"You ain't out there, though." You interrupted his pleading. 

"What?"

"Out west. The O'Driscoll's may not be there, but neither are _you_ ," You continued bravely, "And I don't want to go where you ain't." 

 

Arthur looked down at you incredulously, "You don't know what you're saying." 

"Yes, I do," You grabbed his shoulder and turned him to fully face you, "Don't treat me like I'm some sort of sheltered child, Arthur! I got nobody left in my life, nowhere to go. I've killed people, I'm not some naive little girl. I know we ain't long for this kinda life, but I chose it when they killed my brother, and that's it. I ain't running away now, damn it. I know exactly what I'm sayin', I know exactly what I want and-"

You didn't get a chance to say more as Arthur quickly reached for the back of your neck, pulling your face close to his and into a deep kiss. His other hand cupped your cheek and, in response, you grabbed the collar of his shirt, trying to get as close as possible to his body. He kept kissing you, and you kept kissing him. You felt overwhelming heat rush through you as your lips danced together. You thought that running from the law was the most alive you’d ever felt but that was nothing compared to this. No, this felt like living and dying all at once. You felt both wild and calmed as one hand ran past your face and through your hair, pulling your closer. 

 The other began traveling from your cheek, down the front of your throat, grazing your collarbone. Hesitation kept his hand hovering inches above your breasts, and you could tell he was unsure, despite the ferocity with which he continued to move his mouth against yours. With one hand stationed at his shirt collar, you moved the other down to his belt buckle and jerked him even closer in an effort to show him that you wanted this. 

 

You abruptly broke apart at the sound of gunshots, your mouths raw and faces flushed. Wordlessly, Arthur laced his hand into yours and clicked his tongue, motioning the horses to follow as he pulled you deeper into the forest, into tree cover and away from the openness of the shore. The horses began grazing quietly behind some tall shrubs as you and Arthur crouched next to each other, peering through the bushes at the main road. 

You heard the sound of inbound horses and loud riders, yelling and laughing as they approached. 

"You're tellin' me I shouldn't have shot the bastard in the head?!" an Irish accent rang through the open air. You stiffened. O'Driscoll's. 

"I'm just sayin' if you're goin' to shoot a man, shoot the rest o' the people he's with, you idiot! The law'll be on us any fuckin' minute now. Joshua's goin' to have to wait, we'll go back for 'em later." another voice scolded.

A voice you recognized, one that you could never have forgotten. This particular voice was low and throaty, it was the voice of the man who shot your brother. You hadn't heard him or seen him in two years but it was unmistakable. The accent, the way he spoke.

You shifted your position to get a better look and gasped as you saw a group of five O'Driscoll boys, one of them the very man you helplessly watched kill the only family you had left. But wait - Joshua. He said _Joshua_ , unmistakably. Horror came across your face as it dawned on you. You had never found Josh's body, only blood. 

 

"Arth-" At this realization came upon you, the notion that you were hiding was completely lost to you and you wanted to tell Arthur who he was, but it clearly wasn't the time, as Arthur immediately covered your mouth with one hand, using the other to wrap around your waist, and pull you away from the bushes and closer to him from behind. 

One of the O'Driscoll boys must have heard you, as he stopped his horse, while the others continued riding. He looked toward where you and Arthur were hiding. 

"Come on, back there, let's go!" a different voice called for him. He turned away, leaving you and Arthur waiting on bated breath as the group moved out of the immediate area, and the sounds of their voices and horses' hooves disappeared into the darkness. It was silent again, and angry tears began forming in your eyes as the notion hit you that not only was the man who got away with murdering your brother alive and well, but there was a chance your brother was too. 

 

Arthur finally released his hand from over your mouth, and caressed your cheek, turning your body to face him. 

"My brother," Your voice came out in choked whispers as you met Arthur's eyes, "That man, I thought that he killed him, he was right there."

"I know-" 

"And-and he said his _name_ , Arthur. He said 'Joshua'. What if-if he's still alive? If he's one of them?" 

"Hey," He stroked your cheek and lips with his thumb softly, "I can't begin to understand what you must be thinkin' right now. But before we go runnin' off, we have to get more information, how do you know it wasn't some other Joshua? It's a pretty common name."  

"I just," You felt tears welling up, "I just know, Arthur. I have to know for sure, I have to go to him." 

"You will, _we_ will, okay? Just not tonight, not now. We gotta take some time to think about this. We're _wanted_ , we can't just run off chasin' O'Driscoll's. We have to make a plan. We don't even know where he is." 

You nodded in understanding, your mind overwhelmed with the idea that your brother might be alive, but might also have become the enemy.

"I'm sorry I was rough with you, I just couldn't risk us being heard and gettin' in more trouble," Arthur said. 

You gave a short laugh as you wiped away the tears, "It's okay. To be honest, I didn't hate it." 

Arthur raised his eyebrows at that and his grip around you tightened as he shifted his weight, "Oh _wow_ , Miss Faraday," He took a deep breath and exhaled, "I am goin' to have my hands full with you." 

He pulled you closer, and you nestled against his warmth, taking deep breaths and trying to calm down. 

"It's gonna be okay, you know. We're goin' to find out what really happened to your brother, I promise." Arthur whispered. 

 

The horses seemed perfectly content to stay and graze in the area for the rest of the night, and you didn't want to go back to camp, not yet. The reality of everything that had happened was overwhelming. Arthur laid back on the grass, you at his side, your head on his chest. Although your adrenaline was racing, you were exhausted. You had robbed a bank and almost died running from the law. You were probably wanted in all of New Hanover now. The sight of the O'Driscoll and the idea that Josh was alive and maybe turned into an O'Driscoll had made your blood boil, but through all of that, Arthur was there, reassuring you that things would be okay, even if he didn't really believe it. The pair of you fell asleep under the stars sparkling brilliantly in the night sky.  


	6. Ancient Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Surely not enough to satisfy you boys. I’m just a rancher’s daughter, really don’t got much to give.” You countered, knowing you were only biding your time until you saw a way out or they decided to rob you or kill you. 
> 
> “Now, now, I don’t think that’s true,” the other one snickered, “Actually, come to think of it, I think I seen you ridin' around with that cowboy...and could’ve sworn I seen your face posted up in the rail station somewhere, ain’t she look familiar, boys? Maybe she ain’t got no money, but that bounty was lookin’ real good, if I remember.” 
> 
> "Boys, honest, do I look like a girl you'd see on a bounty poster? I told you, I-"  
> "Nah, missy, I think you look an awful lot like this, Jane Faraday," He took a poster out of his coat, holding it up as you gazed upon your own face with the words WANTED plastered above your portrait and a reward of $150 for your arrest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I struggled with this chapter for a bit, mostly because it introduces a bit of Mary/Arthur drama into the story, which is obviously something that I want to handle right. 
> 
> Pretty much from this point on, the story will have more action and conflict, as I think the exposition has pretty much been covered. 
> 
> TW: there is some unwanted sexual attention/(light) assault in this chapter. There is nothing being acted upon, just insinuation. This is not going to be something that happens in the story often, probably not ever again. Just wanted to put that out there, in case it affects or upsets anyone. 
> 
> Otherwise, hope you enjoy. :)

The events of last night still felt like both a dream and nightmare to you as you were woken gently by the brush of Arthur's fingers against your shoulder.  

 

"Hey," He whispered, his usually-gruff voice surprisingly soft, "Jane, wake up."

You sat up slowly, rubbing your sleepy eyes as they focused on Arthur who remained lying back on the grass, one arm crooked under his head, smiling at you. 

"Hi there," You smiled back, touching his bare chest where you had wrestled a few buttons open last night, "Did you sleep well?" 

He nodded as he licked his lips, "Best sleep I've had in weeks. But I gotta admit, with everythin' that happened last night, I thought I'd dreamed the whole thing." 

You laughed quietly, "I honestly thought the same, but I'm happy to see you're still here." 

"Well I don't plan on disappearin'," He sat up next to you, brushing a piece of hair out of your face, "But I am afraid we'll probably have to head back to camp soon. Have to bring the camp's cut back, and I'm sure Dutch is wonderin' where we've gone off to." 

You frowned, "What about-"

"We're goin' to make a plan, just like I said, I promise, Jane," Arthur repeated, "I want to talk to Dutch about the whole thing, though, see if he's heard anythin' about Joshua, ok?"  
  


You nodded, and the pair of you stood up, preparing for the journey back to Clemens Point. As you began the ride in silence, you bid farewell to the beauty of O'Creagh's Run and hoped you would see it again sometime. 

The thought of the O'Driscoll that was merely feet away from you last night was nagging at you, but you did your best to ignore it until you had a chance to reconvene with Arthur and Dutch. 

"So, uh, we never talked about that kiss." You spoke up, gripping Val's reigns a little tighter. You stared ahead at the path, but saw Arthur turn to you out of the corner of your eye. 

"I've been thinkin' about it too, still a bit surprised by it." Arthur chuckled, "But I liked it a lot if that's what you're askin'.” 

"I did too," You replied, your heart beating fast, "I guess I'm just wonderin' if it meant anythin' to you." 

There was a pause as Arthur regarded you carefully, one of his brows raised  "Jane, I'm no good with words or this kind of thing, but I thought I was makin' it pretty clear that I've got feelings for you." 

A smile crept up on your face, "Just checkin', Arthur. You're not the easiest man to read, you know.” 

"I just, uh," Arthur cleared his throat, "Truthfully, I ain't good enough for you, not by a mile. I don't understand why you'd want to be doin' anything with me, of all people." 

"Arthur Morgan, you really need to stop thinkin' so lowly of yourself," You shook your head, "What you see when you look in the mirror is not what others do, I assure you." 

"How do you mean?” 

You stopped Val in the road, prompting Arthur to do the same, as you unloaded, "Well, first of all, you ain't ugly as you like to insist you are. When I laid eyes on you after you saved my life, I thought I'd died and gone to Heaven, Arthur. You're the most handsome man I ever saw, and don't you argue with me!”   
You stopped to take a breath, before continuing and laying your cards out on the table, "You've got these _eyes_ , as blue as I hear the ocean is, and green as the trees in this forest, with such a beautiful sadness in them. The way you laugh? It's like hearin' angels sing. You're the bravest man I know, by a long shot. You're smarter than you let on, and you care deeply for your people, so much so that you put them before yourself. You're selfless and humble, and despite the robbin', the killin', the violence, you're a damn  _good_ man." 

Arthur just stared at you open-mouthed, devoid of words. It was obvious that nobody had ever said something like this to him before, and he didn't know how to react. 

After another minute of him just looking at you, he managed to ask, "You really think all that?" 

"God damnit, Arthur yes!" You said with a grin, "And it ain't just me who thinks some of those things! I know the girls back at camp think you're the best man out of all of us. I mean, shit, at some point even fuckin’ Mary thought so too and-" It had just slipped out and then it was too late to take it back. The smile faded from your face as you saw the look in Arthur's eyes change as easy as the wind. 

"Mary?" Arthur's expression was indescribable - it was confusion, mixed with anger, hurt, sadness, bitterness, fury, "What do you know about Mary? We ain't even talked about her. How do you know about her?"  

You kept your composure despite how accusatory he sounded, despite how shitty you now felt about bringing it up. Their relationship was obviously important to Arthur and part of his life for a long time, and something that had been eating away at you the more your feelings grew for him. 

Before you could stop yourself, your words poured out of you like vomit, "I know she's a damned fool for not marryin' you, Arthur, for not accepting you for who you are! And that she sends you letters every now and then and you come a callin' every time.  Tilly told me-" 

"Tilly don't know everythin', Jane! Don't pretend you do, too! It's not like you were even around at that time, you got no idea." Arthur snapped. 

In the time you'd known him, he hadn't taken a tone like that with you before, and it made your blood boil. It was as if the past few days never happened. As if he never got jealous of you and Sean, never grabbed you and kissed you, never held you in his arms and told you things would be okay.  You took a deep breath, fighting the urge to bite back.  

"You're right. I don't know. I don't know Mary, hell, maybe I don’t really know you either. I tried to talk to you about her that night in Rhodes, but you wouldn't have it, and maybe I got no right sayin' things like this, but it's how I feel,"  Your tone was even, in spite of how your temper teetered on the edge and begged you to fight back, "It was unfair what happened to you. I'm sorry she hurt you, Arthur, but I ain’t her, and I don't give a shit that you're an outlaw; hell, so am I. I care about you a lot, and I don't care if you don't feel that way about me, but I had to try. I had to be honest, and well, I needed to know if you still loved her, which...it's pretty evident you do." 

“Jane,” He started, his tone frustrated, shaking his head, “It ain’t like that, it ain’t what you think-”

"What is it like, then? Because the way I see it, you want to play both sides, have Mary to run off to, but have a squeeze in the camp, too, is that it?" You began fuming at his denial, and you couldn't stop yourself, even if you knew you were lashing out as a result of something ugly as jealousy. All he did was deny it, even if it was plain as day. You would never be Mary to him. 

"You're actin' like a god damn child, Jane!" 

"So are you!!" 

"Fine!" 

"FINE!" 

You were nearly out of breath from arguing and how angry the whole ordeal was making you, "Maybe it's best if we split up, ride alone back to camp. I think you need time to think, and so do I." 

Without waiting for him to respond, you spurred Val, riding off quickly down the trail and away from a seething Arthur.  

Of course, it wasn’t what you wanted. You didn't want to argue, least of all about another woman. You wanted to hold him, to reassure him that the feelings you had for him were still strong; however, you knew that wasn’t what he needed right now. If he was still in love with Mary, he had to decide for himself, and then maybe you would consider to take him up on his suggestion of going west, no matter how painful it would be to leave the gang now. 

It was a bridge you would cross later if needed.   
  


You rode west back the way you came until you hit the Cumberland Forest and then cut down to follow the Dakota River. It would be a full day's ride back to Clemens Point without stopping, but you wanted some time to cool off before seeing Arthur again. 

You had been doing just fine on your own for a while now, and you were sure the world of the Van Der Linde gang would turn on, even if you stayed out in the wilds for a couple of days as you thought more about your future and which path you should follow. 

You considered the idea of Josh being alive, with the O'Driscoll's, being one of them and wondered if you had ever missed something when you had crept into a camp, if he was ever there, and you just didn't see him. It made you question everything you knew about yourself for the past two years, if all of your efforts had been in vain. Had you been sabotaging a gang that your brother was actually a part of, all in his name? Why had he done it? Why hadn't he just been truthful with you instead of hiding it, and faking his death? 

You knew that you should go back to camp immediately but you also knew Val was tired from the events of the past few days with not much to eat. She had been carrying you non-stop, racing through the heartlands to ensure your escape, and now, you imagined, the arguing had probably stressed her out just as much as it had you. 

As long as you could get south of Valentine, you would feel better about stopping for the evening. Trailing the Dakota as the last light of the day was creeping away, you curved the edge of Valentine, frowning as you remembered the Downes Ranch. How far away that moment seemed now. You continued on until you reached the most dramatic point of the River's curve, across from Diablo Ridge. If there was ever a chance to ride west, now was it. 

Instead, you dismounted Val, hitching her up on a tree. 

"Rest for the night, girl, you've done so good today." You cooed at her, feeding her a couple of fistfuls of hay from your satchel before grabbing the bedroll from off her saddle. You rolled out the canvas and settled down near the tree, staring up at the stars. They were all so bright, reminiscent of the night on which Josh had allegedly died. It all felt like a lie now. Your time with the gang even felt like a lie. It was all based on some false reality that you had been living in, one where all the bad things you’d ever done had been on a needless vendetta. 

You tried to calm your mind; it was late and you were no doubt exhausted both physically and emotionally. The sound of the river flowing and splashing up against the rocks helped to relax you and, eventually, you drifted off. 

 

* * *

  

You woke up with the sun hanging in the middle of the sky. Standing up, you stretched your arms and looked around. 

It had been a while since you'd last eaten, and you hadn't prepared to be absent from camp for two days when you'd left to rob Valentine. You had a sad can of fruit, but not much else.  

You turned to Val, who was grazing peacefully by the tree, "What do you think, girl? Should I try some fishing?" 

She snorted in what sounded to be a disapproving way. 

"Yeah, I didn't think so either." You sighed. You strolled around the immediate area until you saw a bushel of raspberries on a shrub. Your eyes lit up as you ran over and picked out three berries. 

"There should be another bush nearby," You murmured to yourself, "They usually grow in bushes of two or three..."

You walked around, feeling like a child picking flowers as you happily grabbed the berries. It wasn't much to eat, but you would be able to fill up again once you were back at camp, and it was enough to make the journey back. You grabbed a berry to give Val; raspberries were her favorite treat. 

After a bit more loitering around the river, you mounted up again and began the ride back to Clemens Point. Being by the water had been so pleasant, you decided to stay as west as possible, staying along the shoreline of Flat Iron Lake. 

After an hour or two, you saw something curious on the edge of the lake; it appeared to be an overturned boat. As you cautiously drew nearer, you spotted a body. Val began making anxious noises and you tried to calm her as you came closer to the scene. You dismounted and looked around; there was nobody in sight, and the body didn't have any gunshot wounds. He must have just drowned and washed up with the boat during a storm.

Slowly, you approached the body and crouched down, starting to fish through his pockets. He was a dead man, surely he didn't need any of what was left in his coat. Suddenly, he grabbed your hand, causing you to yell out in surprise. 

"Oh my god, oh my god, I'm sorry, I thought you were dead!" You shrieked, almost falling backward. 

The man thrust a letter into your hand, spluttering as he coughed, "And tell her...I never stopped..." before collapsing back onto the ground lifelessly.   

You stood there in shock, his body still on the earth, the wet letter in your shaking hands. 

"Shit..." You muttered, opening up the folded piece of paper. 

The penmanship was beautiful and carefully written, 

 

> _"Dear Miss MacFarlane, I'm sorry. I said it. I'm sorry. You're right. I do let things get out of control in my head. I always have. I see that but I love you. We are meant to be together. It is our destiny. I know it is. I saw us in a dream, raising kids. You were very happy as my wife and I was proud to be your husband. Dreams don't lie and neither do I._

 

> _I'm heading off to make my fortune and when I come back as a rich man, you'll see what a fine husband I will make you, and a father to our children. And no, I won't grow up. On that subject you're wrong. I've got so many things to say to you. I'm going to continue with the writing of this letter later, but believe me when I say, we are destined for a long, happy life together. Even your father will come to believe it and accept me, no matter how humble my birth."_

   
You felt overwhelming sorrow for the man as you read it, sadness that he had died here alone, without being able to tell the woman he loved how he felt and apologize for however he had hurt her. 

Sighing, you thought of Arthur, and how you had yelled at him, accusing him, refusing to hear his side of the story and judging him harshly.  
You didn't know if it was love, but you knew you felt _something_  for the outlaw beyond just respect and friendship. It was real to you now, even if he was unable to return it in the same way.  
You could live with the rejection, as long as he still considered you a friend. You couldn't abandon the gang now, not after reading this poor man's letter and feeling a sense of clarity from his situation. If not for Arthur, you'd be dead. If not for the gang, you'd still be alone, angry, living a loveless life filled with rage and vengeance. Now, all you sought was truth and you didn't want to go it alone any longer.   
  


You tucked the note away into your pocket and clicked your tongue for Val. 

"It's alright, girl," You said, giving her a pat before climbing onto her back, "Let's head inland, away from the water." 

Spurring Val, the pair of you rode back north until reaching Flatneck Station, then cut east from there. You weren't too far away from camp, maybe two hours at the most.  
The sun was already starting to get lower in the sky as you crossed the Lemoyne border. You held your hand flat and parallel to the horizon, counting four fingers worth of daylight - about an hour left of sunlight. 

“Not long, girl. We're almost there.” You comforted Val, giving her an apple to keep her energy up. Stopping at this point wasn’t wise, especially given the escapades of the past few days, and you knew there were probably posters of you, Arthur and the crew posted up at Valentine and Emerald Ranch.   
  


“You all by yourself, girly?” A voice asked from behind you. 

You turned to see a group of seven men following behind you and slowly reached for your revolver. 

“No need for that, miss, but you do know there’s a toll to pass on through?” One of them asked, a smirk on his face, “This here’s Lemoyne Raider territory and well, we _are_ the gatekeepers.” 

“That so?” You asked coyly, “How much is that toll then?” 

“How much you got?” Another one chimed in, eyeing you like a piece of meat. 

“Surely not enough to satisfy you boys. I’m just a rancher’s daughter, really don’t got much to give.” You countered, knowing you were only biding your time until you saw a way out or they decided to rob you or kill you. 

“Now, now, I don’t think _that’s_ true,” the other one snickered, “Actually, come to think of it, I think I seen you ridin' around with that cowboy...and could’ve sworn I seen your face posted up in the rail station somewhere, ain’t she look familiar, boys? Maybe she ain’t got no money, but that bounty was lookin’ real good, if I remember.” 

"Boys, honest, do I look like a girl you'd see on a bounty poster? I told you, I-"

"Nah, missy, I think you look an awful lot like this, Jane Faraday," He took a poster out of his coat, holding it up as you gazed upon your own face with the words WANTED plastered above your portrait and a reward of $150 for your arrest. 

_Shit_.  

Deciding the charade was over, you whipped out your gun and shot one of them straight in the forehead, and then spurred Val to turn and take off as fast as she could. You were in open country, not quite close enough to tree cover to hide or lose them without pushing your horse to the edge.  

If Val could get away, she could at least remember her way back to camp and maybe alert someone to find you; there were too many raiders to try and escape and Val hadn't eaten enough today to have her usual stamina. If they caught up to both of you, it was likely they would capture youandkill or sell her off. 

As soon as you reached the forest, you jumped off Val, and smacked her on the rear, “Run, girl, go! Go get help!”  

She looked stressed as you yelled at her to run, but obeyed anyway, galloping away in the direction towards camp. At this point, you were so close, nearly two or three miles away, but you couldn’t risk leading the raiders back to camp and endangering everyone at camp.   
  
The men stopped at the tree line, “Come on out, girly, we won’t hurt you.”

You slipped your gun back into its holster and raised your hands, stepping out into the open, “Guns are away.”

Laughing victoriously, one of them dismounted and move towards you, fingering rope in his hands. 

“Get on the ground,” He commanded. Rolling your eyes, you obliged, to which the other men whistled. 

“I do love a pretty bitch on her knees.” He stopped behind you, grabbing your wrists and binding them tightly. He pulled you up to your feet and pushed you towards the other raiders and their horses. 

You turned around and kicked him in the shin violently, earning a cackle from one of the raiders, “Oh, she’s a tough one!”

Annoyed, he tackled you and begin tying up your ankles too, rendering you completely helpless. 

"HEL-" You tried to cry out from under him before he knocked you in the back of the head with the butt of his gun and the world was black. 

 

* * *

 

You had been shaken awake by the sound of horses neighing and being brought to a halt. How much time had passed, you weren’t sure, but it was now pitch black outside. The men had obviously felt the need to stop and rest, wherever you were, as they pulled off the road and into a small clearing, hidden by trees. Looking around, it didn't look like Lemoyne anymore, but rather back in the heartlands, likely near Emerald Station.  A couple of them dismounted, starting a fire. One of the raiders rode off, leaving five remaining to accompany you to your fate tomorrow. 

“Alright, missy, off you come,” The one whose horse you were stowed on got off and hitched. You were still feeling a bit groggy from unconsciousness, but not enough to stifle the bitterness you felt at being captured so easily. 

“Don’t drop me, you idiot.” You snapped as he grabbed you around the waist and lifted you off the back of his horse and onto his shoulder. He ignored you as he brought you over to a relatively thin tree and set your back up against it. 

“You’re stayin’ here for now,” he said, tying more rope around your midriff and around the tree to secure you to it, “And later when I get bored, we can have some fun before we turn you in tomorrow.” 

You spit at him, “I’ll pass, thanks.”

"You're a bitch," He slapped you across the face and scoffed as you winced, "And I've heard enough out of you." 

You let out a muffled groan as he took a bandanna out of his pocket, tying it around your mouth and over your lips. He gave you another once-over look before he stalked off to join the rest of the raiders, leaving you struggling. 

"Maybe we ought'a keep her a few more days, what do you think boys? Teach her a lesson?" He laughed loudly as he sat down and began drinking.  

What seemed like hours had gone by. You were going crazy tied to that tree, unable to speak or cry for help, watching the raiders get drunker and drunker by the fire. You heard multiple people passing by on the main road, but nobody strayed off the path to see what was going on. You desperately wanted to break free and pummel each and every one of them. You had no doubt that you weren't the first women with the misfortune of traveling alone that they had preyed upon. The thought of them hurting other girls, more defenseless than you, had you seething.   
 

You continued to watch them as one of the raiders got up and went to relieve himself. He came towards you on his way to find a secluded spot as you glared at him. _If only looks could kill._

"How are we doin' over here?" He asked cruelly, leaning in close to you and stroking your hair. 

You tried to squirm out of his grasp, "Mmmph-"

"Can't really understand you there, girly," He snickered, "Don't you worry, we'll have our fun when I get back." 

He pinched your cheek roughly and walked off into the woods. 

You heard what sounded like a small struggle and a groaning sound off in the woods where he had disappeared to. After a few minutes, he didn't return.   
  


There was the sound of soft footfalls off in the forest near to you, quiet enough that only you could hear. You watched as a crouching Arthur emerged from the trees. Forgetting everything, a muffled whimper escaped you as you locked eyes with him. His gaze was deeply fixed on you as he nodded, pressing a finger to his lips. He moved closer to their campfire, pistols in hand. The remaining raiders were facing the fire with their backs to you, laughing and talking rowdily between themselves, giving Arthur an edge over them as he crept up stealthily behind them like a panther stalking prey. 

He stood up quickly at their rear, shooting two of the raiders in the back of the head violently. You watched the blood pour from their bodies. You were no stranger to this violence, but there was something about the cold, calculated way Arthur dispatched the men as you stood helplessly in the background that made you shudder. 

The two remaining men a bit further away fumbled for their guns in their intoxicated state, but they were no match for Arthur, even on a good day. He easily sent throwing knives sailing through the air and hitting one of the raiders square in the throat, while one missed as the other man fell backward over a log and began crawling away from Arthur on the ground.

"P-please, please don't kill me," He pleaded, the reality of his situation quickly sobering him, "We'll let you go, we'll let you take the girl-" 

"You ain't gonna let me do anythin’. Way I see it, I got all the power right now. Why shouldn't I gut you right here," Arthur growled as he edged closer and closer to the raider, gun pointed, "You were goin' to do somethin' foul to her, I bet. If I hadn't come, you wouldn't have shown her mercy, right?" He gestured to you, still writhing against your bonds, "I don't see a point in letting men like you live." 

"I won't do it no more, I swear!" The man begged, beginning to sweat as he saw the rage in Arthur's eyes. 

" _No_ ," Arthur scoffed as he pulled the trigger, "You won't."  

The man fell down dead on the ground, the bullet hitting him between the eyes. Arthur stood for a moment, staring down at the bodies and into the fire before he turned back to you. He rushed over to you, wriggling against the tree. 

"Well, well, Miss Faraday, thought you'd disappeared on us after you didn't come back to camp," Arthur rested his hand against the tree above your head and leaned close to your face, his voice low, "And here I find you, in the hands of Lemoyne raiders, trussed up like a pretty gift." 

You breathed steadily as he stared at you, his eyes darkly scanning your face down to the ropes that held you. The hand that rested on his belt slowly moved to your face, gently tugging the gag down from around your mouth and letting it fall to your neck. 

"Took you long enough," You murmured, locking eyes with him as his hand lingered on the side of your neck. His fingers were hot against your cold skin and it made you shiver to feel his warmth again.    
  
He was tight-lipped as he worked away at the ropes until they fell to the ground. You stood for a moment, both of you wordlessly staring at each other until you couldn't take it anymore. 

You practically leaped at him and hugged him tightly, feeling overwhelmed at everything that had just happened, tears forming in your eyes.  
"Shh, shh," Arthur rubbed your back as he held you tightly, "It's okay, you're safe now." 

"T-thank you for coming for me," You choked through your tears, "I-I'm sorr-"

"Jane, don't, you ain't got anythin' to be sorry about," Arthur interrupted, tilting your chin to look up at him through your tears, "The way we left things, arguin' and then you didn't show up at camp, I just, I didn't know what to think. Maybe you'd gone after your brother, maybe you'd gotten hurt, I didn't know. Val showed up without you and I knew somethin' was wrong. I was hatin' myself for the way I let you ride off alone, after what I said to you, you didn't deserve any of it. I'm _so_ sorry. And then I found you here, like this," He shook his head, "I watched one of 'em touch you, had a feelin' what they were going to do, and I-"

“Hey, it's okay, Arthur," You sniffed as you palmed his cheek, his regretful words coming down on you in a flurry, "Nothin' happened. You have to know, how strongly I feel for you, it hasn't changed, despite the shit I said, I didn't mean it." 

Arthur's expression turned from one of worry to one of relief as he leaned into your touch, "I'm glad to hear that...Jane, about Mary-" 

"Arthur," You sighed at him, "It's okay, we don't need to talk about it tonight. I just want to go home." 

His eyes softened as he put an arm around you, "Okay, darlin', come on."  He whistled and Val came galloping out of the woods towards you both. 

"You brought her!" You grabbed her neck in a hug.

"She wouldn't let me take anyone else. Reckon she would have wrestled herself free and followed anyway if I’d taken Athena. She had to know you were okay." Arthur chuckled, patting her nose. He climbed up and then offered his hand to help you.  
Taking it, you were pulled up to sit in front of Arthur as he slipped his hands through your arms to hold the reins and steer you both towards home. 


	7. Summer Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "So," Arthur began as you both started walking towards your tent, "How are you feelin'?"   
> "Tired," You replied, stifling a yawn, "It's been an eventful few days."   
> "That it has," He agreed, "You goin' to be comfortable in there?" He gestured at the tent.   
> You looked at him curiously, "What do you mean?" 
> 
> "I just thought, y'know, you've had a rough couple o' days. Thought you might want to sleep somewhere other than the ground." He shrugged, a suggestive look on his face.   
> "What did you have in mind?"   
> "I thought, maybe," He stepped closer to you, "You might stay with me tonight." 
> 
> You looked up at him, your pulse starting to quicken, "Don't get me wrong, I want to, I just wasn't sure if you wanted people to know about us, it is a bit out in the open, I mean."   
> Arthur leaned in to kiss you lightly and gave you a lazy smile as he pulled away, "If they don't know by now, they're fools. I don't give a damn what anyone thinks; the only person whose opinion I care 'bout is yours."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, folks. The smut is here. 
> 
> I think they've earned it. ;) 
> 
> As always, thanks so much for the kudos and comments - your words mean a lot to me and I'm so glad people are enjoying the story!  
> Hope you enjoy this next one; I definitely enjoyed writing it!

 

As you rode back into camp with Arthur, a couple of folks ran over to greet you. The quartet of Karen, Mary-Beth, Tilly, and Sadie surrounded you and gripped you tightly as Sean, Charles, and John stood behind them. 

"We were so worried," Karen cried, "Thought maybe the law caught up to you!" 

"Exactly the opposite," You said sheepishly, "Damn raiders. But Arthur saved my ass, yet again." 

Mary-Beth hugged Arthur's side, "Arthur, you really are a knight in shinin' armour." 

"Not quite, but thanks, Mary-Beth." He blushed at the attention, patting her on the back lightly as he stared at you. 

“You at least take some of ‘em down with you?” Sadie squeezed your shoulder. 

“Killed one, kicked another in the shins. Don’t feel like enough,” You laughed, “Arthur took care o’ the rest.” 

 Sean cut through the grip of the girls as he ruffled your hair and pulled you into a bear hug, "Oh fair girl, we were worried to hell about ya," He looked down at you, "You okay?" 

Arthur smiled at you and Sean, and you sensed that you wouldn't be making him uncomfortable to show some affection back to the Irishman for once, given the circumstances. 

You buried your head into his side and squeezed Sean tightly, which you could tell he didn't expect, "Yeah, I’m fine. Could've used you there to rough up those Lemoyne raider asses, though." 

"Ah, to be sure, next time I see those assholes, I'll give 'em hell on your behalf."  Sean grinned, kissing the top of your head and releasing you from his grasp.

He clapped Arthur on the shoulder as he passed, heading back to the campfire. You really did love Sean dearly. Despite his persistent attempts to court you, there was a mutual respect and understanding between you two now, and you considered him one of your best friends in the gang. Charles and John expressed their relief at having you back safely before heading off to sleep for the night. It was quite late, and you were surprised that those who had greeted you were even awake at all at this hour. 

 

"So," Arthur began as you both started walking towards your tent, "How are you feelin'?" 

"Tired," You replied, stifling a yawn, "It's been an eventful few days." 

"That it has," He agreed, "You goin' to be comfortable in there?" He gestured at the tent. 

You looked at him curiously, "What do you mean?" 

"I just thought, y'know, you've had a rough couple o' days. Thought you might want to sleep somewhere other than the ground." He shrugged, a suggestive look on his face. 

"What did you have in mind?" 

"I thought, maybe," He stepped closer to you, "You might stay with me tonight." 

You looked up at him, your pulse starting to quicken, "Don't get me wrong, I want to, I just wasn't sure if you wanted people to know about us, it is a bit out in the open, I mean." 

Arthur leaned in to kiss you lightly and gave you a lazy smile as he pulled away, "If they don't know by now, they're fools. I don't give a damn what anyone thinks; the only person whose opinion I care 'bout is yours." 

“In that case,” you replied, your voice low and sultry, “Lead the way.” 

He grinned and grabbed your hand, pulling you toward the lean-to and nearly flinging you onto the cot once you'd made it close enough. 

 

There was a hunger in his eyes like you hadn’t seen as he took off his jacket and effects; throwing them on top of the chest at the foot of the cot. You did the same, removing your hat and boots as you stared at each other, smiles widening. You’d been interrupted before, so many times, but not now, not tonight. 

He moved onto you then as you laid down on the cot, feeling the heat of his body beginning to spread to yours, through your skin, into your blood. 

He leaned on his elbows above you, kissing you fiercely as he fingered your hair, tugging on its strands lightly. 

  
You were already wet as he moved his hand towards your sex, teasing you on top of your pants. With a small moan, you pushed your hips up toward him, feeling his hardness already attempting to bust through his jeans. 

You practically ripped the buttons open on each other’s pants, and Arthur leaned back on his knees to yank yours off completely. Laughing quietly, he nearly fell off balance as he pushed his own pants off before crawling back on top of you again. You kissed him as you unbuttoned his shirt, feeling his heart beating fast and true under his skin. 

You watched wantingly as he undid your shirt, too, grinning wolfishly. 

 

Eventually, through the smiling and kissing and laughing, you were finally both exposed to each other. You scanned his body up and down, noting every scar, bruise, freckle, marking, muscle; it was all beautiful. He leaned back on his knees again and drank in the sight of you before him. 

“Miss Faraday, you’re positively the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen. I just,” he looked at your body and then into your eyes, “ _God damn_.” 

You smiled at him, “Come down here, handsome,” you pulled him back down towards you, biting his lower lip as he kissed you, causing him to moan into your mouth.  
He traced your folds with his finger tantalizingly slow until he met your clit, which he flicked and tapped gently. It didn't take long before you were soaked; this was the first time you were truly experiencing something like this, and it was otherworldly. A moment of clarity though, and you realized you had to tell Arthur. He must have sensed something in you then, and looked at you with uncertainty.  

“You _sure_ you want this?” He asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

“I’ve never been so sure,” you replied, licking your lips, “But I, uh,” 

“What is it?” Arthur looked hesitant then and he'd stopped moving. 

“I just, well,” Embarrassment filled you then, “I ain’t ever really been with anyone before, not like this.” 

His expression softened, “Jane, I don’t want to force you into-“

“No, I know, I know,” you reassured him, “I _want_ this, trust me. I’m just embarrassed, I wanted to tell you the truth.” 

He stroked the side of your face, “Whatever you want, darlin’. I want _you_ , I know that for sure. We can take it slow, however you want.”

 

You kissed him then, flicking your tongue against his lips and prompting his own to emerge and meet yours. You didn’t see a sense in speaking anymore; you just wanted him. You gripped the sides of his body, feeling every muscle in his abdomen, as he moved against you. He tested your opening, gently at first, before you couldn't take it anymore. You pulled him into you, gasping as he entered fully, his girth stretching you. 

"God, you're so tight," He groaned, his voice low, "You okay?" 

"I'm amazing," You said breathlessly, "Please don't stop." 

"Yes, ma'am," He replied. His hips crashed like waves upon the shore of your body, you felt every movement deeper and deeper.  

After some minutes, he grabbed each of your legs and hoisted them around his shoulders to bring you to a higher angle, his elbows locking your knees in place as he nearly rammed into you. He wasn't going easy anymore and you absolutely loved it. You moaned loudly and Arthur kissed you, muffling the sound. 

"You like that, huh?" He purred, "Goin' to wake up the whole camp with you moanin' like that." 

"Don't fucking stop." You whimpered. You bit his bottom lip again and kissed him as he thrust into you repeatedly. 

  
It felt as if your bodies had melted together with the synchronicity of how the pair of you moved. His cock was throbbing inside you, hard and sure as he kissed you passionately, violently. 

"Tellin' me what to do now," Arthur hummed, "Who put you in charge, hm?" 

Your nails were digging into his back and he hissed at the pain as he released your legs from his shoulders, letting them fall to his sides and instead pinned your arms above your head. 

"Oh my god.." Was all you could muster as he continued, causing you to get wetter and wetter at every turn. 

"I know you love this, don't you," Arthur cooed, his voice low, "You love being in control but you love givin' it up, too, don't you?" 

"Yes," You breathed, "Fuck, yes." 

 

You were feeling yourself being pushed to the edge and gasped as you came. Arthur was soon to follow, exhaling loudly as he finished inside you. Neither of you seemed truly done though. He came down upon you again as the pair of you made out, aggressively grabbing any inch of the other's body you could get your hands on. 

  
You turned his shoulders away, and climbed on top of him, gripping his sides with your thighs. Arthur looked up at you with lust heavy in eyes, wordlessly admiring what was in front of him. 

"My turn..." You whispered into his ear, yanking a bit of his hair and biting his earlobe lightly. 

"Fuck..." He groaned into your neck as he started to get hard again almost instantly.  

You teased him, rubbing yourself against his length, feeling him getting harder, before sheathing him without warning. He moaned loudly as he entered you again, looking into your eyes as you moved back and forth, up and down on him slowly. He held your hip with one hand and used the other to grab your breast as you sat back and rode him, your hands on the sides of his thighs, speeding up your pace. 

He didn't last long before he came again, exhaling loudly as he climaxed within you. You gently moved off of Arthur and settled yourself down in the cot beside him. 

"I've been thinkin' about that for a long time," He sighed, kissing the top of your head, "Can't believe we just did that." 

"Me too," You agreed, out of breath, "But it happened. And it will happen again, and again, and again...if you'll have me." 

"Always, darlin'." He replied, bringing you closer. 

His arm outstretched under your neck, you nestled into his chest and fell asleep. 

 

* * *

 

The next morning was blissful as you gently woke to the sound of chirping birds and Arthur’s warm body enveloping yours. You snuggled against him, your back against his chest as his arm wrapped lazily around your middle and he took in your scent. 

“Mmmm hey there,” he breathed with a husky voice, “You sleep okay?” 

“Yes,” You replied, turning over in his arms to face him, “The best sleep of my life, I reckon.” 

“I gotta say, me too,” He ran his fingers up and down your arm, from your shoulder to your fingers, back and forth, “You _sure_ that was your first time?” 

You blushed as you giggled, “Pretty damn sure, yeah.”

Arthur exhaled with a low laugh, “Well, you’re a hell of a woman. I’m...well, I have to be honest, I feel very lucky.”

“So do I, Arthur,” you breathed, tracing the scar on his shoulder where he’d been shot by the O’Driscoll boys, “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life, here with you.” 

  
He looked at you then, his eyes shining, looking genuinely relieved, happy, sad, smitten, all at once. 

“So am I, darlin’, so am I. It's like, well, I don't know how to say it," He paused, his eyes bright as they met yours, "I felt like I was livin’ in winter for all these years and you're like the summer sun that just came into my life, all of a sudden. You just, you bring so much light, you're radiant, Jane. Don't know how I deserve it.” He kissed you gently, running his coarse hands through your hair. 

A few minutes passed in comfortable silence as you laid there, listening to the birds sing to each other in the trees above. 

“I’d love to stay here all day with you.” Arthur sighed. 

You pouted, “Can’t you?”

“Unfortunately, I have to take care of somethin’ in Rhodes. Some business about security with the Grays, I guess. Probably dangerous.” He frowned, sitting up in bed and gingerly moving some strands of hair away from your face as you stared up at him. 

“Hmm,” you sat up as he stood, pulled on his jeans, and began looking through the chest at the foot of the cot, “Who else is goin’, do you need another gun?”

“Micah, Bill, and Sean,” Arthur replied, picking a shirt out of the chest, “I don’t think I want you around them, not for this. Micah will be nothin’ short of nasty, I’m sure.” 

He hummed as he poked through the chest, picking out a few different pieces before deciding on a white collared shirt. 

 

He began fastening the last few buttons of his shirt and slipped his black neckerchief around the collar, “How do I look?” 

You melted like snow in the spring as he gave a little twirl, asking your approval with a hopeful grin. With every moment, every look, you felt yourself falling wildly in love with him. 

You motioned for him to come to you and he did, sitting down next to you on the cot. You reached forward and undid the first few buttons of his shirt, fingering the neckerchief in your hands and smiling at him from under your lashes. 

“I like _this_. I like to see more of your skin,” You ran your finger in a swirling motion against his collarbone, “If it doesn’t make you uncomfortable.” 

“It only makes me want you again, right now,” he replied hungrily, leaning forward and kissing you deeply, “You’d best be careful with those eyes, Miss Faraday, or the whole camp may get a show in broad daylight. Maybe I can’t help myself.” 

 

You giggled as he nuzzled into your neck, tickling you. You undoubtedly felt the happiest you ever had in your life, pushing aside the events of the past few days. You'd been so angry the entirety of the past few years; you allowed yourself to be happy, selfish, in this moment. 

"I wish you'd stay," You sighed, "But I know you've got to do this for the gang." 

"I wish I could, too," He inhaled deeply, brows furrowed as he stood up again, "But I'll be back soon, won't take long." 

You nodded, pausing to put some clothes on before standing up, "Just please be careful." 

“'Course I will." He ran his hand through his hair before setting his hat on his head. 

 The pair of you began walking out towards the hitching posts, your arms crossed as you saw Micah and Bill chatting near their horses as they prepared to ride off. 

"Well, well, well," Micah guffawed as you approached, "Someone got luck-"

"Yes, yes he _did_ ," You interrupted smugly, "Go ahead and spit your venom, because nobody _actually_ gives a shit what you think, Micah Bell." 

  
Bill and Arthur raised their eyebrows at you, while Micah narrowed his eyes and lowered his haunches a bit. 

"I still have my doubts about you, Faraday," Micah sneered, "But damn if you ain't loyal to someone. Have to respect that..." 

 

He turned away from you and Arthur, securing the straps on Baylock's saddle and you felt as if you had finally won this round against the fork-tongued outlaw. 

"Well someone had to put you in your fuckin' place, Bell," Sean appeared behind you, ruffling your hair as he always did, "How anyone can't love this girl, I haven't got a clue." 

You beamed at Sean and Arthur, both of them looking at you appreciatively. You watched as the four men mounted up. Bill and Micah already began to trot off, the latter disgruntled as he spurred Baylock. 

“Hey, guys," You said loudly before Arthur and Sean rode off, "Please be careful. The both of you." 

Arthur nodded at you, "We will." 

“Oh, Faraday, don't you worry about us. Me n' English here, we're practically the best team around, besides you and me, o' course." Sean said with a grin. 

 

You watched them ride away with a pit in your stomach, but you couldn't pinpoint the cause of it. You were _so_ happy, but something inside filled you with a sense of dread.  Trying to ignore it the best you could, you walked back to your tent to grab some fresh clothes and clean yourself up properly. 

You passed Karen on your way and she grinned at you, clearly knowing everything that had happened last night. 

"So," She began, turning on her heel and linking arms with you as you walked toward your tent, "How was he?" 

You laughed out loud, blushing furiously, but you knew you couldn't keep anything from her, "Karen...it was _excellent_ , I ain't going to lie to you." 

She practically squealed at your answer, "I KNEW IT! I knew this was goin' to happen! Tilly and Mary-Beth doubted it, but I knew deep down. They each owe me two dollars." 

 

“Well, you better collect your winnings," You laughed, "I'm goin' to get cleaned up but I'll join you girls right after." 

"Yeah, get outta here, you're filthy!" Karen winked as she skipped away with a wave. 

You were grinning to yourself as you went into your tent and collected some fresh clothes. You wanted to go get a bath but Arthur said to steer clear of Rhodes so, for the moment, the lake would be better. After cleaning yourself up, you walked back to your tent to drop off your dirtied clothes and noticed Kieran gently feeding and brushing Valkyrie. 

 

You smiled as you walked up to him, "Hey, Kieran." 

He startled as he turned to look at you, "H-hey miss Faraday."

"Jane. You don't have to call me 'miss', Kieran,"  You replied as you stroked Val's smooth hair, "Thank you for taking such good care of my Val." 

Kieran seemed to relax a bit, "She is a beautiful horse, miss-uh, Jane," he stuttered, "She's so calm compared to the others."

"She probably just likes you," You smiled as you looked at her lovingly, "You know, you and I never really talked that much before."

"N-no, I mean, nobody really talks to me, ‘cept Mary-Beth. " 

You frowned, "Why not?" 

"Well, I used to kind of be with the O'Driscoll gang before," Kieran said timidly, "Well, 'till Arthur caught me. But then eventually, he let me stay with the gang after we attached an O'Driscoll hideout once. I saved his life and he saved mine." 

You paused. You hadn't heard anything of Kieran's backstory until now. What if he knew about Josh? 

"Kieran," You began, you heart racing, "I hope I’m not imposing by asking this but did you ever meet an O'Driscoll named Josh? He doesn't have an Irish accent, but he's got hair and eyes like mine; did you ever see him?" 

Kieran stopped feeding Val and looked thoughtful for a moment. 

"I ain't really sure, Jane, I'm sorr-" He froze for a moment then and looked up pensively as if the clouds knew all the answers, "Actually, now that I think about it, I might've seen him with Declan once, he actually was there at Six Point Cabin when we attacked it-"

"Declan, who's Declan?" You asked, your eyes wide, "He was at the cabin you attacked? Did he get away?" 

"He's one of Colm's right-hand men, was the one who brought me to join them when I did."

"Declan, what does he look like?"

"Well, he's tall, has the accent and all...and, _hey_ , why are you so interested?" Kieran's eyes grew mildly suspicious. 

"Only Arthur knows this right now, so please keep it a secret if you can, but...well...I think my brother is actually _alive_ , and that he joined the O'Driscoll gang." You explained, your eyes falling to the ground. 

Kieran's mouth was agape, "You think he faked his death?" 

"I don't know," You shrugged sadly, "But I have to find out. See if I can get him out of there." 

"You know, Jane," Kieran started, bringing a carrot out of his pocket and feeding it to Val, "Maybe he don't want to leave. I mean, no offence, I wasn't made for them, or that life. I hardly belong here, but, maybe your brother _wanted_ to join them. Maybe he just didn't want to disappoint or hurt you." 

 

Kieran's words weirdly made sense, even though you hated to admit it. You didn't want to think about Josh faking his own death just to absolve him of guilt in your mind. You always saw him as your big brother who could do no wrong. It was just the two of you and, maybe, he wanted to go down a path that he knew you wouldn't approve of. Now here you were, on the same path, on opposite sides of the tracks. One gang versus another. 

"Yeah," was all you could say, "Maybe. Uh, thanks, Kieran, I'll see you later." 

"I'm sorry if I made you upset," Kieran looked sad at your crestfallen expression, "But I'm thinkin' of goin' fishing in a bit if you want to join." 

"I'd like that," You gave him a small smile, "Thanks, Kieran. Just let me know when you want to go." 

 

He perked up at your acceptance of his invitation and nodded as he went back to tending to the horses. You walked back toward the lake and settled down at the end of the small wooden pier, sitting on the edge and dangling your boots above the water. Your thoughts were all over the place. How happy you had woken up this morning in Arthur's arms, only for the idea of your brother's betrayal coming out of the dark to plague your mind yet again. You swung your legs back and forth trying to kick the water as you pondered everything. 

"Mind if I join you?" came the familiar voice of Hosea behind you. You turned to see the older man standing there and regarding you thoughtfully. 

"Hi Hosea, 'course not," You motioned for him to sit, "How are you?" 

"Oh, you know," He joined, letting his lanky legs hang over the edge, "Just feeling like an old ruffian among you youngbloods." 

  
You giggled, "Hardly, Hosea. I can tell you have the spirit of a mighty lion in there." 

"Glad someone thinks so," Hosea's eyes crinkled as he smiled, "Glad to see you're fallin' in so easily with the gang." 

"I guess I am. I've never been a part of something like this before. Makes me feel like I have a real family." You admitted. 

"I'm happy you feel that way," He replied, looking out at the water, "I also wanted to thank you for what you've done for Arthur." 

You looked over at Hosea, "What do you mean?" 

"He looks _happy_ again," Hosea replied, "He hasn't smiled this much in a long time. Not before you showed up. And I know he loves this gang more than anything in the world but, well, he looks at you a different way from how he looks at all of us, I can see it. He was bent up over Mary for a long time. I met her once or twice, it just didn’t feel _right,_ you see. She wasn’t very kind to him after her family made it clear they didn’t approve. But now? He carries himself differently." 

You weren't sure what to say.

  
“He also told me what you did for that poor farmer, Mr. Downes. Not many people would have done that, throwing money away for someone they don’t know.” He continued. 

You shrugged, “It just felt like the right thing to do. He was sick, deathly. There was no way he could have paid Strauss back, and even if he could, it didn’t matter. He needed the money at that moment and I didn’t. Besides, we’re outlaws right?” You laughed lightly, “There’s aways more money somewhere.”  

  
Hosea looked at you with curiosity in his eyes, “You’re a good person, Miss Faraday. I see why Arthur loves you.” 

Your breath hitched, “H-he does?” 

“He may not have said it to you. He may not know it himself yet, but I can see it. I see him smile, laugh, and be himself with you. I see the kind of person you are. It’s no wonder people are drawn to you. You have a strong and kind heart.” Hosea said, putting a hand on your shoulder. 

“I doubt the O’Driscoll’s I’ve killed think so,” You said quietly. 

“Those men ain’t so human. They kill for sport, for fun. You’re not like them. You did it out of rage and revenge for a time. But you haven’t done it lately, have you? That was your life before and now it’s not.” Hosea continued. 

 

He was right. You’d been angry, downright furious when you realized that Josh may be both alive _and_  had become an O’Driscoll, but you hadn’t acted out on the knowledge. You’d forgotten about it in all your bliss with Arthur, in laughing with Karen, in speaking with Hosea at this moment. The anger you used to feel that was so embedded in your soul was slowly evaporating because you weren’t alone anymore. 

“Hosea,” You looked at him with watery eyes, “Thank you. I-I don’t know what to say.” 

“Oh child,” Hosea said, tightening his grip on your shoulder, “If I can tell you one piece of advice, don’t live your life in anger. Don't seek revenge on someone that you used to know. Be happy. You’re _so_ young. Choose to live in the present, not the past, or you’ll wake up one day and all you’ll have left are your ghosts.” 

“I will,” You smiled, “I will do my best.”

“Good. Now," Hosea smiled back and clapped his hands on his knees, "That's all the wisdom this old man has for today. I heard you and Kieran might go fishin', mind if I join?" 

“Not at all,” You replied, “Want to go now?” 

"Sounds great," He nodded as the pair of you stood up. 

 You and Hosea crossed the camp to meet Kieran, who looked perplexed. He was looking around, shaking his head, clutching his fishing pole with white knuckles. 

"Kieran," You frowned as you approached him standing at the edge of the lake, "Are you okay?" 

"I, uh," He met your eyes with worry, "I think somethin' happened to Jack." 

You froze as Hosea spoke up, "What do you mean, Kieran?" 

"I-I was comin' down to check the lake before we go fishin' and I heard him yell out...and I-I think I saw him bein' carried off by a few men." Kieran stammered. 

"Oh my god," Hosea shook his head, "I'll bet it was those damn Braithwaite boys, they must've caught onto this scam we've been running." He ran a hand through his silver hair and turned around to see Abigail standing before the three of you. 

 

"What are you guys talkin' about?" She asked, her tone uneven, "H-have you seen Jack?" 

"Abigail," Hosea began, "We were just speaking with Kieran and-" 

"Where's Jack?" Her composure began to falter when she saw the look on your faces, "Hosea, where is he?" 

"We don't know," Hosea replied sadly, "We think-"

"Oh my god, oh my god," Abigail began breathing heavily at the thought that Jack wasn't in camp, "My boy, where is my boy?' 

"Hey," You said, moving forward and putting your arm around Abigail's shoulders, "We're goin' to find him okay? Why don't you come sit down with me?" 

"Please find him, Hosea," Abigail begged, her eyes filling with tears as she accepted the comfort of your arm. 

 

You led Abigail away to sit down with you, looking over your shoulder to Hosea and Kieran who both nodded before parting ways to look for Jack around the perimeter of camp. You knew, however, this was futile. 

Jack was somewhere, but he sure wasn't here. 


	8. Hell Hath No Fury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Follow my lead. Both these redneck families think they can ruin us? I don't think so." Dutch murmured.   
> "There they are," Hosea pointed out. You looked ahead and saw a couple guards outside the mansion.   
> "Who steals a god damn boy," Dutch fumed.   
> "I'm gonna let fly at those sons o' bitches." John said, his voice murderous.   
> "John, I need you to stay calm," Dutch looked at him out of the corner of his eye as you walked, closer and closer. 
> 
> You were nearly ten feet from the main courtyard when Dutch bellowed, "Get down here now! You inbred trash!” Calm indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy folks! I know it's been a while since I updated and I'm going to try and do better. Life has been a bit hectic lately but I take refuge in this :) 
> 
> Hope you enjoy the chapter; I'll definitely be updating more often from here on out!
> 
> Cheers! xx

You sat on the log facing the lake, your arm around Abigail, as she cried into your shoulder. 

“It’s-it’s goin’ to be okay, Abigail,” You did your best to soothe her but it was futile, “Arthur, John, and Dutch, they’ll help figure it out. We’ll find him, I promise.” 

She didn’t respond, only heaved uncontrollably. Sadie rubbed her back on the other side of the log, her brows furrowed, looking like her thoughts were going a mile a minute. The rest of the women sat around you, trying to calm Abigail down and reassuring her that Jack was being searched for by John and the rest of the men left in camp. 

Molly was silent and detached; you hadn't spent that much time getting to know her since you’d arrived, but from what you’d noticed, she didn’t really try to familiarise herself with the rest of the gang either, only Dutch. 

The group of you heard the sound of horses approaching and turned toward the entrance to camp to see Arthur, Micah, and Bill riding back. You then noticed that there were four horses, but only three riders. There was no sign of Sean. You looked to Karen, who was pale as a ghost as she also came to the realization that Sean was missing. Mary-Beth met your eyes and mouthed “Go” as she got up and took your place next to the inconsolable Abigail. 

You grabbed Karen’s hand and pulled her up with you as you approached the men. 

“Where is he?” Karen demanded. You glared at Micah and Bill before looking at Arthur. Micah walked off without a word, making a beeline to Dutch’s tent. 

Arthur had a look in his eye that you’d never seen; it was full of anger, sorrow, regret, fury. 

_Oh god.  
_

“Arthur, where is Sean?” You pressed, gripping Karen’s hand tighter. 

Arthur let out a deep breath before he looked at her woefully, “Karen...”

Your eyes moved behind him, past Bill who was hiding something, or someone, on his horse behind him. You pushed past Arthur, who tried to put a hand up to stop you, but knew it was ultimately futile. You shoved a silent Bill aside to see Sean’s body, face down, slumped over the back of his horse. He wasn’t breathing. The sunlight glinted copper against his hair, his hat nowhere to be seen, a chunk of his head was missing. 

You felt as if the rug had been ripped out from under you as tears welled up in your eyes and you looked over your shoulder at Karen, who had cried out at the gruesome sight of Sean. She slumped into Arthur’s chest and began hitting his torso with her fists as she shrieked, “How could you let this happen?!” 

She began sobbing as Arthur put his arms around her, trying to hold her still, a somber look on his face. The tears were streaming down your face as you turned back to Sean, lifeless and broken in front of you. It was as if you had lost another brother. You put your hand on his shoulder as if in denial, lightly shoving it, hoping he would look up at you and laugh like it was all a ruse. Except he never did.

You sank to your knees next to Bill’s horse, your head in your hands as you tried to control your quickening heartbeat and heaving chest. You felt a hand on your shoulder and looked up to see Bill staring down at you sadly. This was the most emotion or affection you'd ever seen Bill show; you could tell it upset him more than he wanted to show. 

“I’m goin’ to move his body,” Bill said quietly, “Don’t want the rest of the women to see him.” 

You couldn’t speak, only nod, your lip quivering, as Bill slowly lifted Sean’s body off the horse and onto his shoulders. 

Karen was trying to break free of Arthur’s grasp when she saw Bill walking away with Sean’s lifeless corpse. 

“No! Don’t take him,” she pleaded, “No, please...” 

She pounded on Arthur until he relented, letting her chase after Bill to get one last look at Sean before he would be put into the earth. 

Time seemed to come to a stop as you knelt there in the grass, your pulse still raging out of control and your blood boiling as you simply looked at the ground. The grass was wet with your tears and the drops of blood that had fallen from Sean’s head. 

Arthur slowly moved and sat down behind you, pulling you into his chest as you stared into the void. 

“What happened, Arthur?” You whispered through tight lips. 

“We walked into a trap. The Grays...whole thing was a god damn set up,” he replied, harsh tones of regret in his voice, “Before we realized, they shot him, there was nothin’ we could do. No chance at savin’ that poor fool.” 

You were silent as Arthur recounted the tale, anger building inside you. 

Between Sean’s death and Jack’s disappearance, you’d had it up to here with Lemoyne and Rhodes. You were seething as you watched Karen walking away from where Sean was now being buried, her face stone-like as she approached Strauss’s medical wagon, grabbing a bottle of gin and stalking off toward the lake with it. What pain she must be in. You loved Sean in your own way, but what she was feeling was surely hellish. You nestled against Arthur, knowing you’d want to burn down the world if any such thing had happened to him. 

“I just,” You sighed, “We loved him.” 

“I know, darlin’, I know,” Arthur rested his chin on the top of your head, “Kid was like a brother to me. Annoyin’ little brother, but one of the best men I knew, he had a good heart.”

“Poor Karen,” you watched her sadly as she slumped against one of the tree trunks and drank deeply, nearly a quarter of the way through the bottle of gin already. 

“You have to watch out for her, Jane,” Arthur said, “I know I can only say so much, but I know she’ll listen to you. Don’t let her drink herself to death. We all gotta keep an eye on her.” 

“Arthur,” you shook yourself out of your thoughts, remembering now that although Sean was now gone, there was someone who still had to be saved, “Jack’s gone.” 

“What?!” He grew stiff. 

“We don't know where he went, he's just gone. We-well, Hosea thinks it was the Braithwaite family who took him,” you explained, wiping the tears from your cheek, “We were tryin’ to calm Abigail while y’all were gone but-“

“We gotta, fuck, we gotta do something,” he looked completely dishevelled as he began standing up, “Have to talk to Dutch.” 

He pulled you up and toward Dutch's tent, where Abigail and John were already speaking, their voices frantic, Abigail nearly yelling at the men. 

The pair of you rushed up as Dutch attempted to comfort Abigail, "Calm down. Everybody just relax, we're doing all we can." 

"Arthur, Jane," Dutch laid eyes on you both, "Have you seen that boy, Jack?" 

"No, I-" Arthur began but was cut off by Abigail. 

"Where's my god damn son?!" Abigail shrieked, "Where is he? Where's my son...they took him, didn't they, they took my son?" 

"Who took him?" Arthur asked, running a hand through his hair. 

"We think the Braithwaite woman took him," Hosea ran up, out of breath, "Kieran saw a couple o' fellas, sounded like Braithwaite boys." 

"Where is my son," Abigail began crumpling again, "If anything-oh, _where_ is my son, Dutch Van Der Linde?!" 

"We will find him, we will bring him back to you," Dutch said evenly, "And we will kill any fool who had the temerity to touch one hair on that boy's head! Abigail," He took Abigail's hands in his own, "You have my word." 

"Just get me back my son." She pleaded, looking to you all with glassy eyes. 

"I will get that boy back, so help me god. Right now." Dutch stormed off. 

Arthur looked at you and nodded. You ran to your tent and grabbed your bolt action rifle, slinging it over your shoulder as you ran to catch up with Dutch and the others. 

Bill approached your posse with Charles and Lenny in tow, "Dutch, we just heard about Jack; you need some extra guns?" 

"Hell, why not," Dutch exclaimed, "Micah! Kieran! Anyone strange turns up, you kill 'em! Rest of you, let's ride!" 

You mounted up and rode off quickly in formation, hanging towards the rear with Arthur and Charles. Maybe you should have stayed behind to help protect the rest of the gang, but Sadie, Micah, and Kieran were there; they’d be fine. The way you saw it, the Braithwaites and Grays had made it personal by taking Jack and killing Sean. There was no room for discussion anymore. 

"Okay, let's go get that boy back!" Dutch yelled from the front of the pack. 

"They must've figured out what we was up to, Dutch," Hosea said, his voice disgruntled.  

"Yeah, we just got shot to hell by the Grays in town!" Arthur added, looking over at you. 

"I know, I heard," Dutch replied over his shoulder, "About Sean, too. I don't wanna even think about that right now. We have to focus on Jack." 

You were fuming at the thought of these two families taking something else away from the gang. First, Sean. Now, Jack? There would be hell to pay. You hadn’t really seen Dutch in action yet, but by the way he led your posse, you could see how the others admired and listened to him. Despite Arthur's uncertainty which he confessed back in Rhodes, you could see he would ride into hell and back at Dutch's side. 

"I swear," John said angrily, "I'll kill everyone there!" 

"Easy John," Dutch warned, "Try to stay calm." 

"I'm fine." 

"How the hell did they get to him?" Hosea asked curiously. 

"I don't know," Dutch replied, "But we are getting him back, and they will pay. I promise you that." 

"What about the gold?" Bill piped up. 

John looked at him with scathing eyes, "Who cares about the gold?! They got Jack!!" 

"I hate to break it to ya," Hosea began, "But I don't think there _is_ any gold. Or if there is, it's hidden somewhere no one knows." 

"What?!” John asked shrilly. 

"I've turned every stone..." 

"For Chris's sake, Hosea! After all that? Another perfect scam."

"We underestimated them."

"No," Dutch interjected, "They underestimated us...enough talk. There's no point arguin' how we got here. This is where we are, and we are goin' to fix it. So come on!"

You were getting close to the Braithwaite property. You had never been to the area specifically, but you could feel the tension building in the air. Something was about to happen. 

"Okay, get your heads right! Nobody makes a move until I say so!" Dutch commanded as you saw the mansion ahead. The road approaching was straight and long, with large trees hanging over the path dramatically leading to the huge house, its windows alight with candles. 

"Alright, everyone, dismount and come to me. We'll go in on foot from here." Dutch commanded, pulling his horse to a halt. 

The group of you got off your horses and hid them off to the side. You stayed close to Arthur as you walked up the path beside the men, your heart beating quickly. As awful as the circumstances were, it felt incredible to be part of something. To fight for something, alongside people who had become your friends, your family. 

"First Sean, now Jack. We should have stayed out of all o' this." Lenny said, cocking his shotgun and shaking his head sadly. 

"Bit late for that, ain't it?" Bill remarked, checking the bullets in his revolver as he walked. 

"Quiet," Dutch said, "We are goin' to fix this right now. Come on, let's get this done." 

You approached the front gates before your pace slowed. You saw Dutch lean over to John, "John, you sure you're okay?" 

"Like I said, I'm fine," John replied shortly. His voice said otherwise. You stood next to him, putting your hand on his shoulder and gave him a tight smile. 

 

"Follow my lead. Both these redneck families think they can ruin _us_? I don't think so." Dutch murmured. 

"There they are," Hosea pointed out. You looked ahead and saw a couple of guards outside the mansion. 

"Who steals a god damn boy," Dutch fumed. 

"I'm gonna let fly at those sons o' bitches," John said, his voice murderous. 

"John, I need you to stay calm," Dutch looked at him out of the corner of his eye as you walked, closer and closer. 

You were nearly ten feet from the main courtyard when Dutch bellowed, "Get down here now! You inbred trash!”  _Calm indeed._

One of the Braithwaite boys took one look at your gang and guffawed, "What the hell do you want?" 

"We've come for the boy," Dutch snapped, "You must've known we would." 

"Shouldn't have messed with our business, now, should you?" He sneered. 

"Whatever complaint you have with us, alleged, or otherwise, that is a young boy. That is not the way you do things. Hand him over!"  

"Get the hell off our land!" 

Dutch paused, looking at your posse around him and inhaled deeply before speaking again, "If you ain't goin' to be civilized about this..." Without warning, Dutch fired his revolver into the man's chest multiple times. 

You startled and began firing at the other Braithwaite boys who had begun exiting in droves from the front door of the mansion. Arthur and the rest of the gang started doing the same, and the battle ensued. You slid to the side and took cover behind the wall of the main entry gate, peeking out and firing at the men like they were target practice. Every now and then, you glanced over at Arthur who shot effortlessly with his double-barreled shotgun at the Braithwaite boys. You could see his focus and the precision with which he aimed, fired, and landed his target. 

Within minutes, they were dead and you all emerged from cover, your handiwork dead before you on the ground. Dutch stepped forward and turned to the group.

"Arthur, John, Hosea, with me! The rest of you, watch out here for any other arrivals."  Dutch ordered. Arthur looked over and gave you a quick nod before walking off with Dutch, John, and Hosea into the mansion. 

You moved to take cover behind a nearby column with Charles as you prepared for the onslaught of enemy backup. There were a number of gunshots and yelling happening in the house behind you and you looked back, fearing for Arthur. 

"Hey," Charles said, nudging you, "He'll be fine. Focus on you. Don't get distracted." 

"Okay," You said breathlessly, "Let's do this." 

You waited in position as you saw multiple riders approaching. Taking a deep breath, you aimed your rifle one of the oncoming Braithwaites and exhaled as you pulled the trigger, knocking the man off his horse and dead into the dirt. 

"Good shot." Charles praised as he did the same. 

"You too," You replied, nodding in thanks to him. 

For now, it looked like the majority of hostiles were approaching from the east side of the mansion. 

"Need some help over here!" Lenny called out in confirmation. 

"You want to go? I can stay here and make sure nobody else rides up from this way."  Charles offered, his eyes on the stretch of road leading to the mansion. 

"Sure," You replied, "Thanks. Eyes up." 

Charles nodded at you before you took off in a sprint towards Bill and Lenny's position. You slid behind a nearby wagon to take cover as the approaching Braithwaites shot in your direction. 

"Good to see you," Lenny exclaimed at your arrival, pumping his shotgun, "Hope the guys are almost done up there." 

"I guess we'll see," You looked over, "I just hope Jack is even here." 

You heard more commotion from the mansion and looked over your shoulder to see Arthur and John on the balcony, working to break down a door into an upstairs room. Eventually, they had made it inside, and you heard more gunshots, the scream of a woman, yelling back and forth, and one more gunshot. 

 

Shifting your focus back to the rush of enemies, you took deep breaths as you aimed your rifle at the next target, taking him down in one shot. 

“Looks like we got a sharpshooter here,” Lenny called out. You smirked as you fired another one off. 

You didn’t enjoy killing but here, at this moment, in the aftermath of Sean’s death and Jack’s kidnapping, all you wanted to do was destroy. 

After a couple more minutes of defending the position, you heard Dutch, John, and Arthur making their way back into the front courtyard. You looked over your shoulder and saw that the house had been set ablaze. Dutch was dragging an older woman by the nape of her neck through the dirt as she watched her house go up in flames. 

You all made your way back to the front gates and surrounded the woman, who lay cursing and crying on the ground.

“I never liked you,” She spat, glaring up at Dutch and Hosea. 

“Why’d you take the boy, Mrs. Braithwaite?” Hosea demanded. 

“You…stole my liquor, you stole my horses!” She cried. 

“Boys are off-limits-“ Hosea interjected, but she continued her accusations. 

“Ain’t no rules in war, Mr…” 

“Matthews,” Hosea responded shortly, “Where’s the boy?”

“My sons gave him to Angelo Bronte,” Her southern drawl grew more aggressive as she continued, “So my guess is Saint Denis. Either there...or on the boat to Italy!” 

“Let’s go!” Hosea cried, turning on his heel.

“Arthur, come on!” Dutch bellowed.

Arthur looked at you and then turned to follow Dutch, “What’re we doin’ with her?”

“Leave her.” 

“I told you she was crazy!” Hosea scoffed. 

As your posse made your exit, you looked back over your shoulder one last time and saw Mrs. Braithwaite stumbling back toward the burning mansion and disappear into the flames. 


	9. Welcome to Shady Belle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As you approached, the large double doors opened and Arthur appeared, waltzing out of them and into the courtyard, “Welcome home, all of you, to my humble abode,” He came down the stairs, his arms stretched wide, “We got fine living. Ignore the corpses and the alligators.”   
> Dutch breathed in the warm air as he grinned, “It’s paradise! I love it!”   
> You smiled to yourself at the sentiment; it wasn’t quite your idea of paradise, but it was safe and that’s all that mattered at the moment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy friends - have been writing up a storm lately, working on future chapters of this work as well as some one-shots, so if you like my style, keep an eye on the horizon because there is more to come! 
> 
> This chapter isn't crazy long, but it's FLUFFY. FYI the next one is pretty lengthy and I will be posting it very soon. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy! xx

You rode back to Clemens Point empty-handed as the sun started to come up.  

The look of disappointment on Abigail’s face was shattering, but something about the way her eyes shifted to John said that she knew Jack would not be there. It was never going to be this easy. 

She embraced John when you had all dismounted and regrouped with the rest of the gang. Arthur stood next to you with his hand on the small of your back. You saw Karen from afar, sitting on the ground with her legs bent, her back against one of the wagon wheels, head resting on her knees. Meeting eyes with Arthur, you motioned in her direction and he nodded in silent agreement. 

You walked away from the rest of the group and approached Karen, sitting down next to her. 

“Hey,” you began, at a loss of what to say. 

“Hey,” she replied in a shaky voice, not looking up, “You find Jack?” 

“No. He wasn’t there. We think he’s in Saint Denis.” 

Karen didn’t respond, just let out a sigh. 

“I’m sorry about Sean,” You put your hand on her shoulder, “It’s bullshit what happened.” 

Her body seemed to release a bit of the tension, but you could tell it would be a while until she would be okay again. 

“Jane, t-thank you,” Karen looked up finally, her eyes red, “I appreciate it, but I think I need some time to myself.” 

“Yeah, sure. I’m sorry, Karen,” you grimaced as you stood up, “If you need anything, I’m here.” 

She simply nodded before lowering her head back onto her bent knees. 

 

You sighed as you walked back to the main table where John, Dutch, Arthur and Hosea were gathered. You stood behind John’s chair, facing Dutch and Arthur. 

“It’s all goin’ to work out, John,” Hosea was saying, “It’s all goin’ to work out, listen to Dutch.”

“I don’t expect you to understand this, but I have never been more proud of you than I am right now, brother,” Dutch said calmly, “You’re doin’ the right thing.” 

John shook his head, “If I don’t get that boy back safe, I’m…she…she’ll kill us all.” 

“I know, but…looking at this logically, that boy is fine. They took him to scare us.” Dutch reassured, “Nobody takes a boy to harm him.”

“He’s right, John,” Hosea added. 

“What do you think, Arthur?” Dutch looked to Arthur, who was leaned over on his knee, one leg up on one of the low barrels.   

“The boy’ll be fine but…of course Marston’s scared rotten,” He sighed and motioned at John, “We killed all those people, we stirred up all that trouble, for nothin’.” 

Dutch looked at him almost dumbfounded, “No, no, not for _nothin_ ’. For _living_. Now, we get that boy back, and we go. Trust me.”

“Hey Dutch, we got a problem,” Lenny’s voice called out. 

You all looked to where Lenny was leading two well-dressed men with his gun at their backs. 

“Not a problem,” One of the men said, his voice almost too calm, “Visitors. A solution. Good day, fine people.”  

He came closer, as you and the rest of the gang began circling the newcomers like a pack of wolves. 

“Mr. Van Der Linde, Mr. Matthews, I presume,” The man continued and then looked at John, “And who are you?”

“Rip Van Winkle,” John scoffed as he stood up. 

“Huh,” The man paused, “Good day, sir…Agent Milton, Pinkerton Detective Agency, Agent Ross.” He motioned to the second man. 

There was a silent recognition from the rest of the gang at his introduction. 

Arthur stood up straight and took a few steps forward nearer to Dutch protectively. 

“Ah, Mr. Morgan, nice to see you again,” The man feigned friendliness.

“And to what do we owe the pleasure, Agent Moron?” Dutch snorted without turning around. 

“I don’t know if you’re aware, but this is a civilised land now. We didn’t kill all them savages to allow the likes of you to act like human dignity and basic decency was outmoded or not yet invented. This thing,” He motioned to the camp, to all of you, “It’s done.” 

“This place,” Dutch stood up, and slowly turned around, his eyes locked with Agent Milton's, “Ain’t no such thing as civilised. It’s man who is _so_ in love with greed that he has forgotten himself and found only appetites.” 

“And as a consequence that lets you take what you please, kill whom you please, and hang the rest of us?” Agent Milton countered, “Who made _you_  the messiah to these lost souls you’ve led so horribly astray?” 

“I’m nothing but a seeker, Mr. Milton,” Dutch answered, haunches raised. 

“You ain’t much of anything more than a killer, Mr. Van Der Linde,” Agent Milton replied, “But I came to make a deal. It’s time. You come with me, and I give the rest of you three days to run off, disappear, and go live like human beings someplace else.” 

“You came for me? Risked life and limb in this den of lowlifes and murderers, so that they might live and love? Ain’t that fine.” Dutch said humorously. 

 

Folks chuckled amongst themselves; your eyes met with Arthur’s, his face solemn. 

“I don’t wanna kill all these folks, Dutch,” Agent Milton’s eyes narrowed, “ _Just you_.” 

“In that case,” Dutch put his hands up and started walking slowly towards the agents, “It would be my honour to join you. Excuse me, friends, I have an appointment to keep with.” 

As if on cue, everyone began removing their pistols and revolvers from their holsters, and readying their guns. You were involuntarily fingering the pearl grip on your Schofield and found yourself taking it out as well, your fingers tapping the cool metal. 

“I think your new friend should leave now, Dutch.” Ms. Grimshaw said threateningly. 

“You’re making a big mistake, all of you,” Agent Milton said, looking around. 

Dutch chuckled, “Yeah, dreadful,” He looked around at the rest of the gang before coming close to Milton, “We have got something, something to live and die for. How awful for us, Mr. Milton. Stop following us. We’ll be gone soon.” 

“I’m afraid I can’t, and when I return, I’ll be with fifty men. All of you will die. Run away from this place, you fools! Run!”

“Why don’t you just fuck off back to where you came from?” You spat as you stepped forward in front of John, prompting a snicker and raised brow from Micah.  

Milton noticed you for the first time, his stare fixed curiously, “And who are _you_?” 

“Just someone else who thinks you should get out of here before we put holes in you.” You snarled, standing your ground. 

“You’re a fool,” Milton said, shaking his head angrily, “All of you.” 

“Come on,” Lenny began nudging Milton, who knocked his hand away. 

“Get your damn hands off of me, boy!” He snapped, pushing past Charles and Molly. 

Arthur sighed, placing himself closer next to Dutch, “Now what?” 

“We get out of here,” Dutch looked around shiftily, “And quick. Any ideas?” 

“I know a big old house hidden in the Swamps outside Saint Denis. I’m sure they’ll find it eventually but it should buy us a few days.” 

Dutch nodded, “A few days is all we need.” 

“It’s a spot out by Shady Belle. Lenny and I got into that dispute with the previous occupiers. Place is well hidden.” 

Dutch thought about it for a second and then agreed. He looked at John, “You and Arthur ride out and make sure no one else has moved in.” 

He turned to Lenny, “Lenny, you go follow those fools out of there, make sure they leave. John, we’ll get that boy back and we’ll get gone. Rest of you, start packin’!”  

Arthur turned around to you and put his hand on your shoulder, “You’ll be okay?” 

You nodded, “I’ll start packin’ our things and help the others. Be careful.” 

“Always.” Arthur gave you a tight smile before walking off with John. 

 

Despite the humidity of Clemens Point, there was undoubtedly a chill in the air after Agent Milton and Ross had left. 

Arthur and John had ridden off to Shady Belle and you started to help the rest of the gang pack up. You went over to Arthur’s tent to start organising his things and heard Micah muttering by Dutch’s tent, “What if we just cut the fat a little, Dutch?” He was saying, his drawl low, “We’re just draggin’ our feet with some o’ these folks, you know? The ones who ain’t goin’ out there and doin’ their part…Pinkertons comin’ in here, finding us so easily…just proves it ain’t safe for the women to be travelling around with us, what if we just-“ 

“Micah, we cannot just _leave_ them,” Dutch responded sharply, “This is a family. Besides, some of these women are tougher than the men.” 

You stood next to Arthur’s cot, slightly out of sight, pretending to look through his chest while you eavesdropped on the pair. 

“I know, but…it might be worth letting me catch up with some old…friends, Dutch, some folks who could join up and help us with some jobs. They ain’t squeaky clean but they know how to make a profit and…well, get rid of their mess,” Micah reasoned with a snicker, “More people to watch our back and make sure these agents ain’t just strollin’ into our camp whenever they please. There ain’t enough strong arms around here.” 

It was silent for a moment until Dutch spoke again. 

“Yes, that just might be what we need,” Dutch replied thoughtfully, “With Sean gone, we’re down a gun, I mean, we need people to help protect the women. We haven’t been making nearly enough money, and Rhodes has been a disaster.” 

“Right, _of course_. Just think it over, Dutch,” Micah encouraged. 

You’d stood still, seemingly minding your own business as you saw Micah walk off out of the corner of your eye. 

It seemed that there was an awful lot of Micah scheming behind the scenes, conversations that Arthur and the rest of the gang were not aware of, and might not be keen on if they knew what was being discussed. 

Micah had practically asked Dutch to kick people out of the gang, “cut the fat”, as he put it, in favour of bringing in some of his friends, people who you doubted were the _share the wealth_ sort. 

Dutch had seemed strong-willed about keeping everyone together, which made you feel a little more secure, but he also seemed to put more stake in Micah’s silver words than you liked to admit.  

You shook yourself back to the matters at hand and continued to pack Arthur’s things up in the chest, feeling anxious at the conversation you’d overheard. Your mind was all over the place and it wouldn’t be easy to forget what you heard here tonight. You wanted to tell Arthur, but it would have to wait until he returned and you got a moment of privacy. 

After an hour or two of packing, you’d managed to get your and Arthur’s belongings organised and ready to go. Charles and Lenny had helped you load everything into one of the wagons. You looked around at the empty spaces where your and Arthur’s tents used to be and felt a sense of nostalgia. 

The first time you actually met Arthur had been there, in his cot when you’d woken up after your run-in with the O’Driscoll; the only place you’d ever stayed for more than a few days since leaving home was here in Clemens Point, and you felt a certain attachment to the spot. 

Such was the life of being in a gang: staying in one place for too long could be dangerous, the events of today had proven that well enough. 

You could only hope that where you were headed, Shady Belle, could lead to better things. 

The rest of the camp was packed and loaded into the wagons, ready to go. You went to grab Val and helped Kieran wrangle the horses of those who’d be riding in the wagons. After mounting up and preparing the rest of the horses for departure, you were off. 

You left Clemens Point, the plains and forests behind you in favour of the deep south. You felt shivers as you rode through the damp and muggy air, watched as the trees began to look more haunted and sad, and noticed less wildlife the further you rode on. 

After about an hour of riding in silence, you had all reached the place known as Shady Belle. It was an enormous estate, with a proper run-down Southern mansion sitting right on the edge of the swamps. There was a small, aged gazebo next to the house and room for the horses to graze near the front of the property. There was plenty of land surrounding the house and enough room for all of the tents and wagons to be set up. 

As you approached, the large double doors opened and Arthur appeared, waltzing out of them and into the courtyard, “Welcome home, all of you, to my humble abode,” He came down the stairs, his arms stretched wide, “We got _fine_  living. Ignore the corpses and the alligators.” 

Dutch breathed in the warm air as he grinned, “It’s paradise! I love it!” 

You smiled to yourself at the sentiment; it wasn’t quite your idea of paradise, but it was safe and that’s all that mattered at the moment. 

“Ms. Grimshaw, Mr. Perason,” Dutch turned to the two climbing off the wagon, “Would you two kindly work your magic?” 

 

Arthur came up and stood next to you; he put his hand on your shoulder and gave a small squeeze. You smiled up at him, your eyes saying volumes more than words were capable of.

“Arthur,” Dutch began walking toward the two of you, his eyes on the outlaw, “Take a ride with me.” 

It wasn’t really a question and Arthur sighed as he nodded, tight-lipped. Dutch turned to go grab The Count, and Arthur looked down at you. 

“Won’t be gone long. Then we can, uh, yeah,” Arthur said, a hint of awkward nervousness in his tone. 

You popped up and kissed him on the jaw, “Just come back safe to me.” 

Arthur grinned down at you, “Yes ma’am.” 

You watched as he jogged over to Athena and threw himself onto her back, his eyes shining as they shifted focus from you to the road ahead. 

Val cantered up to you at the sight of Athena leaving and gave you a little nudge. 

“Hey,” You said, stroking her mane with one hand and her nose with the other, “You want some carrots?” 

She whinnied in response and you smiled as you pulled some fresh carrots out of your satchel and began feeding the mare. 

“We’re a long way from where we started, huh, girl?” You said soothingly as she gobbled up the vegetables. 

She snorted, her nostrils flaring in response. 

You thought about everything that had happened, how crazy your life had begun in the past few years. After Josh’s “death” all you had was anger, but now you had something to be hopeful about. Even as things seemed dire, with Jack missing and Sean dead, there were people around that cared about each other, people you would kill for. 

“How do you find it?” a voice piped up behind you and you turned to see Molly standing there, looking at you a bit awkwardly. 

“Sorry, what?” You asked curiously. 

“Being here, travelling with Dutch Van der Linde and his band of misfits.” She said with a hint of sarcasm and fake grandiose in the lilt of her accent. 

“I find it real fine,” You replied, “It’s better than bein’ alone as I was before.” 

“I don’t know how you put up with these men most times,” She crossed her arms with a slight roll of her eyes. 

You frowned, “Molly, you and I never really spoke before but,” you paused and lowered your voice a bit, “Are you okay?” 

She seemed taken aback by your question as if she’d never been asked about her feelings before. 

“I, uh,” She muttered, her eyes dropping to the ground as she shifted her weight uncomfortably, “No, not really.” 

You pursed your lips and motioned over to the gazebo, “Do you want to sit with me?” 

She nodded quickly, wordlessly and the pair of you walked toward the small structure. When you sat down, Molly let out a dramatic sigh. 

“So,” You began, “What’s wrong?” 

She looked at you with sad eyes, “I feel like I shouldn’t complain, you know, Abigail is so distracted and sad because of Jack and Karen is distraught over Sean...”

“Yeah,” You said, “But you’re allowed to be upset too, about other things.”

“I know, I just...I know the other girls don’t really like me.”

“Is that what’s bothering you?” You asked, taking out a pack of cigarettes and putting one between your lips. 

Molly shook her head, “It’s Dutch. Ever since we left Valentine, hell, maybe even before, he’s been different, more erratic, impulsive, unhappy.” 

“Well, it seems like he’s been under a lot of pressure,” You chewed on the cigarette, “But this ain’t really about that, is it?” 

Molly looked down at her hands, “No. He...we haven’t...I used to think he loved me, but not anymore.” 

“What do you think changed?” 

“I don’t know,” She confessed, her voice quiet, “Maybe I’m not pretty enough for him anymore.” 

“I don’t think it’s _that_ ,” You fingered the cigarette before popping it back between your lips, “I think Dutch has a lot going on in that head of his, and romance ain’t at the top of the list. You’re beautiful, Molly, really, don’t doubt yourself.” 

Molly began blushing and went quiet, considering your words for a moment, “Thank you, Jane. I just….I see how you and Arthur are and,” she sighed, “I have to admit, I’m jealous. I wish Dutch cared for me the way Arthur does for you.” 

You shook your head, “No two relationships are alike, Molly. Hell, no two men, neither. I think you have to just find time to talk to Dutch, tell him how you feel. Once you get it all out in the open, you’ll feel better.”

Molly scoffed, “Oh, believe me, I’ve tried. It always ends in yellin’ and tears. But I’ll try again. That’s all I can do.” 

You pursed your lips, “I know it ain’t easy, but if you’re really feeling like you don’t belong, you can always leave.” 

“Leave,” Molly looked into the distance and chuckled, “It seems a foreign concept to me now. I only stayed to be with Dutch, or else I’d be in New York.” 

“Well, it’s never too late to try. Not that I’m telling you to go,” You shrugged, “I just mean, your fate isn’t set in stone here. If you’re unhappy, do something about it. Life is whatever you make it, you know?” 

“Maybe I will,” She replied, “Thank you.” 

“Anytime, really,” You said with a small smile, “I know how hard it can be, having your life be one thing and then one day it turns into something else entirely. It ain’t easy and, well, if you ever want to talk about it with me, you can.” 

“I appreciate that, Jane. Thank you,” She stood up, straightening her skirt, “I’ll see you.” 

 

You gave a small wave as she walked away and you sighed as you watched the land around you turn from empty bayou into a full-fledged camp, the result of Ms. Grimshaw and Mr. Pearson’s talents. You stood up, figuring you should help out, maybe set up Arthur and your things somewhere. As you approached Ms. Grimshaw, she continued to bustle around, only pausing to hand you a box of Arthur’s effects. 

“Now, I set you and Mr. Morgan up in the house upstairs,” She said, “Head on up there, get it organised and lookin’ nice.” 

“Sure thing, Ms. Grimshaw,” You nodded, taking the box, “I’ll be back down to help.”

You turned to walk away and Ms. Grimshaw grabbed your elbow gently, “You know, Jane, I just wanted to say, I’m thrilled you and Arthur are together. You make him so happy. More than that Mary ever did.” 

You felt the heat rise to your cheeks as you grinned, “Well, thank you ma’am, he makes me real happy, too.” 

You clutched Arthur’s box to your chest as you entered the house and trudged up the stairs. To say the building was old was an understatement, but there was a kind of decrepit beauty to it; it was aged and falling apart but still providing a roof over your head and a sanctuary for the gang, even if it was in a less than desirable location. After exploring a few of the rooms, you found the one that Ms. Grimshaw had set down some of your belongings along with Arthur’s. Your fingers toyed with the doorknob as you stood in the frame, looking at the pictures Ms. Grimshaw had set down on a dresser in the corner, no doubt for Arthur to arrange as he liked. The bed was small but bigger than the cot Arthur was used to; you supposed, big enough for the both of you if he wanted to share. You smiled at the idea of sharing a bed with Arthur and the idea of sharing with him in general. You’d never felt this way about anyone before and it made you absolutely giddy.   


Setting the box down on a table, you began rifling through to see what you could set out and arrange for right now; the box was mostly filled with some of Arthur’s weapons and ammo stockpile, a few bottles of tonics here and there. You began taking them out and carefully lining things up along the wall on the table and on the small shelf that hung above. You heard a squeak of the floorboards behind you and turned to see Arthur standing there and watching you with admiration in his eyes and a wry smile on his lips. 

“Well, hey there, mister.” You greeted him with a playful curtsy.

“Miss,” He replied, tipping his hat, “What are you doing?” 

“Oh, nothin’ really,” You turned back to the shelf and gestured to your handiwork, “Just arranging your things all nice for you.” 

“My angel,” He chuckled, coming up close behind you and slipping his hands around your waist, “How are you so good?” 

“Only for you,” You smiled as you exhaled, leaning your head back against his shoulder, “How’s Dutch?” 

Arthur sighed, “Hard to say. Stressed, to say the least.” 

“I’ll bet,” You replied quietly, still thinking of the conversation you’d overheard between him and Micah, “Arthur, I got to tell you something.” 

“What is it?” 

You turned to face him, then brought him to sit down on the bed. 

“I heard Micah talkin’ to Dutch,” You lowered your voice, “It didn’t sound good.” 

“What did you hear, Jane?” 

“Micah was trying to convince Dutch to ’cut the fat’, as in, kick some people out of the gang. He thinks we’re moving too slow.” 

Arthur narrowed his eyes as they darted all over the room. He shook his head, “Dutch wouldn’t-“ 

“I know. I know, he disagreed at first but…then he said Micah might be right. It was weird, like, Micah has such a strange influence on him. Look, I don’t know what I heard, but I think we should all be careful,” You pursed your lips, “We have to look out for each other.” 

“You’re damn right,” Arthur’s voice dropped dangerously low, “I swear to god if that snake-“

“Hey,” You took his face in your hands, gingerly running your thumb up and down his cheek, the stubble scraping your skin, “We’re goin’ to be okay. I know it. Things might be less than great right now, but…we gotta have hope, Arthur.” 

“I just…I just wish things weren’t so complicated like they are now. What a mess we’ve made o’ things,” Arthur gave you a small but sad smile, “I think I’d be lost without you, girl.” 

It was silent as the two of you sat there, your fingers caressing the sides of his face as he looked at you, _really_  looked at you. It felt as if the moment had lasted forever here in this room as the rest of the world ticked on. The sound of the campfire crackling outside and crickets singing trickled in like the wind through the window as your mind and heart raced. You thought of everything the two of you had been through together, so much in such a short period of time and yet, here you were, happier than you’d ever been and, you believed, madly in love. 

“Arthur, I-“

“I love you, Jane,” he said suddenly, grabbing your hands and pressing them to his lips. 

“You do?” Your pulse quickened with excitement and relief. 

“I really do. I-well, can't explain it, I know we ain't known each other that long and-” he scratched the back of his neck, a bit nervously before you interrupted him with a quick kiss.  

“I love you, Arthur Morgan,” You grinned, “I really do, too.” 

He kissed you fervently then, your lips dancing together as he tossed his hat on the table and climbed on top of you. You were grabbing the collar of his shirt, trying to pull him into you; you knew that he was all you ever wanted and all you ever would. It was a warm welcome to Shady Belle, and you spent the rest of the night laughing, kissing, and making love to the man who made you feel whole again. 


	10. Ancient Names Pt. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rest of the gang had rushed up and gathered around Jack and Abigail, greeting him with excitement and relief. You hung back with Charles as you let everyone say their hellos to the young boy. Arthur was standing with Athena, stroking her mane as he watched the little family, a sense of longing in his eyes.
> 
> Some of your favourite moments consisted of things like this: watching Arthur when he thought nobody was looking, seeing the way he looked at the family before him and realising it was something he wanted but never got to have. A family and an overall sense of normal seemed crazier to you than the life you led, but when your heart quickened as Arthur's eyes turned to you and you saw his smile deepen, you felt as though this is what you'd been waiting for your whole life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Next chapter here :) 
> 
> This one has a bit some fluff, a bit of angst, a little bit of everything :)  
> Thank you for reading and supporting me; I really do love writing this fic and it's very therapeutic for me...so I really do appreciate it! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this next one! xx

The forest was hazy and thick with mist as the sun began to rise over the mountainside, trying its best to cut through the sea of fog. You could see a deer, no, a stag, wandering alone through the trees, stopping to sniff the air and breathe in the dawn. A sound; the crackling of dead leaves as another creature approached the lone deer. A doe, much smaller, appeared and timidly limped toward the stag, one of its legs wounded. The buck looked at the doe and you could swear you saw worry and sadness in its eyes as it gently touched its nose to that of the doe. The doe nestled its head against the buck and then, suddenly, they both looked at you. 

The faint sound of rain and birds woke you from the dream with a slight start. What a curious thing it was; you’d never dreamt of anything like that before and it was beautiful. You smiled as your eyes focused and you saw Arthur lying next to you, deep in sleep and looking peaceful. 

You carefully moved a few strands of hair out of his face and he crinkled his nose as if it had tickled him. You tried to stifle your giggle but it was too late, and his eyelids fluttered open before his pupils focused on you. 

He yawned and rubbed his eyes, “Hello, there,” 

“Hello,” You replied, “You know, you’re so handsome and peaceful when you’re sleepin’.” 

"I must be the luckiest man alive,” Arthur purred as he ran his hand up and down your back, from your shoulders to your ass, squeezing gently at your cheek, “Wakin’ up with a woman like you. And a woman who, somehow, loves someone like me.” 

“I ain’t never loved anyone before Arthur, not like this,” You met his nose with the tip of yours, gently flicking it with your own, “And I think I never will again.” 

You grinned as you kissed him, nipping at his lips with your teeth playfully, and he rolled you back on top of him. You had begun to grind against him when an abrupt knock at the door interrupted your foreplay. 

“Damnit, who is it?” Arthur groaned as he pulled a blanket over you protectively. 

“Sorry, Arthur,” Tilly’s muffled voice answered from behind the door, “It’s just, erm, you got a letter.” 

“Just slip it under the door, Tilly, if you don’t mind.“ Arthur replied.

You heard the paper slide onto the wood and into the room. 

“Now, where were we?” Arthur asked hungrily as he turned back to you. 

You giggled, “Don’t you want to see who the letter is from?” 

“Not really,” He replied gruffly, “I’d rather finish you off first, my love.” 

“Oh, Mr. Morgan, you know how to make a girl feel wanted,” you nipped at him again, biting his lower lip as he groaned into your mouth. 

“Mr. Morgan!” Ms. Grimshaw’s voice sounded like an alarm throughout the house as you heard her stomping up the stairs and toward the room. 

“GOOD GOD WOMAN,” Arthur exclaimed loudly, slipping out from under you, getting up out of the bed and storming over to the door. He was shirtless, wearing only his jeans, his hair messily tousled, as he ripped the door open and laid eyes on Ms. Grimshaw. 

“What can I do for you, Ms. Grimshaw?” He asked in an exasperated tone but still trying to keep some semblance of politeness. 

“Um, well,” she replied, clearly flustered by the whole thing, and seeing Arthur in this state, now knowing what she’d interrupted, “Dutch is lookin’ for you. Think he wants to go see about Jack with you. And I also just wanted to tell you to tread carefully with that letter Tilly just brought up here.” 

Arthur cocked his head in curiosity, “How do you mean?”

“Well,” She sighed and then lowered her voice, “It’s from Mary.” 

You could see Arthur visibly stiffen at her reply. He shifted his glance over to you with an almost apologetic look before nodding, “Thank you, Susan. Tell Dutch I’ll be over soon.“ 

Wordlessly she bustled away and Arthur closed the door, walking back to you while running a hand through his nearly shoulder-length hair. 

“You hear all that?” He asked in a sheepish tone. 

You nodded, “I did. So,” You sat up and tucked your arms around your knees under the blanket, “Mary wrote again, huh?” 

“Unfortunately,” Arthur replied, grimacing, “I can, uh, just toss it out, if you want?” 

Your heart skipped a beat watching him, the way he so carefully tread when it came to you and Mary. The pair of you hadn’t discussed her any further after your argument in the woods that day and it still felt like a bit of a sore subject, despite how open and honest you had become with one another. 

You did, however, not want to make Arthur feel trapped or caged by your relationship. You trusted him; you just didn’t trust _her_. 

“Arthur, if you want to read it, you can,” You answered with a deep inhale, “I trust you, and I know that this is a complicated thing for you. I don’t want you left wonderin’ ‘what if’, as much as I’d like you to ignore that letter, I think you should know what it says.” 

Arthur’s face softened at your words and he shook his head as he returned to the bed and sat down on the edge, gently putting his hand on your knee, “I sure as hell don't deserve you,” He admitted, “But how about we read it together? Then we both see what Mary says at the same time.” 

“Are you sure?”

“O’course I’m sure, darlin’, anything she says to me, I’m okay with you knowin’; it ain’t worth making you feel uneasy.” He took your hand and kissed the top of it before opening the letter and unfolding it. 

You shifted your position to hang off the edge of the bed and lean your head on his shoulder, gazing down at the page. 

> _My Dear Arthur,_

> _I hope this letter finds you well. I wanted to thank you for your help with Jamie. He and Daddy are still arguing but I understand that Jamie is thinking about going back to college. Whatever happens, I believe you saved his life and we are all truly grateful._

> _Oh Arthur, I have made such a mess of my life, time and time again. Why can I not change and be the woman I want to be? Why couldn’t you change and be a man and put down all those fantasies that cloud your judgment?_

  
You bristled while reading her words; it was as if she had been waiting for Arthur to find happiness after their breakup, and _right_ at the moment he cared little for her any longer, she would swoop back in to ensure he couldn’t forget about her. You looked at Arthur out of the corner of your eye, watching as he scanned the letter with a steely visage; unreadable.  You shifted your gaze back to the words on the page: 

> _Life is very confusing and I see now that I am not very good at it._

> _I am afraid we have gotten ourselves into another mess. It’s not my fault, but I need your help. I’m staying at the Hotel Grand in Saint Denis. Oh Arthur, I know it is wrong to ask you but I have nobody else and for what we once had together, I beg of you, even though I am ashamed to do so._
> 
> _Yours,_

> _Mary_

  
You had finished reading but you couldn’t help to continue staring at the page, a troubled look on your face. Again, here she was, asking for Arthur’s help, continuing to use him for her own devices, using their past as leverage against him. 

Arthur let out a sigh and folded the paper up before tossing it onto the table and turning back to you, his eyes downcast. 

“Are you okay?” You asked, lacing your fingers with his. 

“Yeah,” He answered, “She just won’t leave me be.” 

You sat in silence for a moment. You were trying to stay objective about the whole thing, but it took everything you had to do so. Mary had come before you, there was no helping that. Arthur had said to you before that she didn’t matter anymore, but you knew that part of him still cared about her in some way, you just weren’t sure how. 

“Are you going to go to her?” You asked, your voice shrinking. 

Arthur brought his eyes back up to meet yours, “I won’t go if you don’t want me to.”

“Arthur, contrary to the women in your life who came before, I ain’t going to try and control you. ‘Course I’d rather you don’t go, but I know you want to help her. I trust you. It’s her I wouldn’t trust as far as I could throw her.” You replied with a hint of bitterness in your tone. 

“What if you came with me?” He suggested. 

“You want _me_ to come with you to see _her_?” You raised your brows. 

“Yeah, I do. Maybe it will get her off my back, make her realize we can’t keep doin’ this song and dance anymore.” 

You smiled in relief, “You really are done with her, ain’t you?” 

“Darlin’, the moment I laid eyes on you, I was done with her,” Arthur cupped your cheek, “There’s no comparison.” 

“I’m starting to think it's _I_ who don’t deserve _you_.” You breathed, feeling the warmth of his fingers softly caressing your smile. 

“As much as I want to stay here,” Arthur sighed, “We’ve been interrupted twice now, I got a feeling it’ll be a third if I don’t go see Dutch.” 

“Are ya’ll going to go ask around about Angelo Bronte?” You asked, leaning over behind him to grab your blouse off the table that stood at the end of the bed.

“Believe so,” Arthur replied, doing the same, “Hopin’ this Bronte fellow ain’t as bad as the Braithwaites.” 

“Hopefully he’s not worse,” You paused, “Arthur, about Mary-“ 

“She'll be fine,” He said, pulling a white shirt over his head and rolling up the sleeves, “Jack is the priority for today; whatever her problem is, it’s goin’ to have to wait. Besides, you’re comin’ with me anyway. I think you should stay and help the girls today, try to calm Abigail down a bit. Might be dangerous with Bronte. I’ll try to talk to Dutch about things, too, see where his head’s at.” 

“Sure,” You nodded, pulling your fitted pants on as you stood up. 

The pair of you wordlessly continued dressing; Arthur tucked his shirt into his cuffed pants and pulled on a red vest, fixing his collar to sit on the outside of the lapels. His hair grazed the top of his collar and he shot you a cheeky but shy smile as he noticed you staring at him. 

“Whatchu’ lookin’ at, girl?” He asked with a chuckle. 

“Just a very handsome man, who makes a girl extremely happy,” You grinned, slinking up to him and unbuttoning one more button on his shirt. You grabbed a black neckerchief from the bedside table and slipped it around his neck. 

He shot you an endearing look as you picked up your own red neck scarf and draped it around your neck, flipping your hair out from underneath it and pulling it into a loose, little bun. 

“You are a vision,” Arthur sighed, “Alright, we better get out of here before we never leave.” 

You both walked out and Arthur gave you a sweet peck on the cheek before you parted ways, he heading to Dutch’s room and you down the stairs and out into the courtyard. 

You were about to walk down the stairs when you heard Sadie’s familiar whistle, “Hey there, lady,” She said as she sat cross-legged in the chair beside the main doors, “You’re glowing.” 

You looked at her slyly, “Guess you could say there’s been one thing goin' right these past few days.”

“I’m real happy for you two, I haven’t seen Arthur in such a good mood ever. Not that I’ve been runnin’ with the gang for _that_ long, but long enough to know,” Sadie gushed, “Just happy to see two fools in love amidst all the madness. Reminds me of how my Jakey and I were.” 

You put your hand on her shoulder, “That’s high praise, Sadie, thank you.” 

She swatted the air, “Ain’t nothin’ but the truth, Jane,” She glanced down at the ground, “How’re you holdin’ up about Sean?” 

You frowned, “Truthfully, I’m full of rage, Sadie,” You felt your body heating up as you thought about Sean, lying cold in the ground back at Clemens Point, “I wish I could kill ‘em all.” 

“I know,” She nodded, “I know how you felt about your brother, how I felt about Jake, and now it’s happened all over again with Sean. Maybe we ought to cleanse the world of these assholes one of these days.” 

You leaned your weight against the column and slumped to the ground across from Sadie. For a while, the both of you just sat there looking at each other; you forgot that you were supposed to be checking on Abigail, but your conversation with Sadie had jerked you back to reality, which you had been blissfully trying to ignore with every second you spent with Arthur. Josh had been in the back of your mind with everything that had been going on and you knew you were going to have to deal with it sooner rather than later.

“I hope things don’t get worse,” Sadie continued, “But somehow, I doubt it. At least for the immediate future. Kind of feels like somethin’ is about to happen.” 

The door opened suddenly and out strode Dutch and Arthur. 

“Ladies,” Dutch tipped his hat to you and Sadie, “Will you two kindly watch over the rest of these folks while Mr. Morgan and I head into the city?” 

“Sure thing, Dutch,” You replied with a nod.

“That’s my girl,” Arthur gently ruffled your hair as he and Dutch departed, their strides matching as they headed towards the horses. 

“You two are disgusting, you know that?” Sadie chided with a grin and a shake of her head. 

“Yeah, I know,” You replied, watching Arthur give Valkyrie a pat before mounting Athena and riding off our of view. 

“He told me he loved, you know,” You said to Sadie, looking at her out of the corner of your eye. 

“No shit!” Sadie exclaimed, “Y’all must be havin’ the best nights of your lives for him to say that to you so quickly. It’s barely been two weeks since y’all got together.” 

You shrugged with a dreamy look, “I have a feeling that time ain’t much of an indicator of those things. When you know, you know. You know?” 

Sadie laughed, “You’re damn right, Faraday.” 

The pair of you sat for a while longer, not saying much, but no words were really needed. Sadie knew you enough now to know what all this meant to you, not just Arthur, but a family, too.  

Still, you couldn’t shake your anxiety about Dutch and Micah's conversation. You had a feeling that, as Sadie said, something was going to happen soon.

 

* * *

  
The last light of the day was shining through the thick mist that swam through Shady Belle. You sat between Abigail and Sadie around the campfire, the former wringing her hands as she just stared at the entrance to the property. It’d been hours since the men left; John had ridden out about an hour after Dutch and Arthur to meet them and confront Bronte. You hadn’t heard anything since. Charles and Lenny were sitting around the fire with you, trying to help soothe Abigail's troubled mind.  

“I’m half-tempted to ride into town myself and see what’s going on,” Charles piped up while he fashioned some poison arrows. 

“I know, me too,” You agreed, “I don’t want to get in the way, but who knows what’s going on up there.” 

“You ever been to Saint Denis?” He replied, setting the arrows down and looking up at you. 

You shook your head, “Never been to a bigger city than Blackwater; never really been this far from home, I have to admit.” 

“This is your home now, with us,” Lenny remarked with a smile, lighting his cigarette, “Can’t get rid of us now, whether you like it or not.” 

You grinned as you put an arm each around Sadie and Abigail, “Wouldn’t dream of it.” 

The corners of Abigail's mouth twitched into a tiny smile, the first time you’d seen her smile in days, and she seemed a bit more relaxed with some off-topic conversation. 

“You’re not missin’ much, to be honest,” She shrugged, “Cities ain’t so nice, the people are foul.” 

“Speakin’ of foul,” Sadie smirked and nodded towards the road where Dutch, John, and Arthur were riding back in. As they got closer, you saw a fourth, tiny rider sitting in front of John. 

Abigail practically squealed when she saw them, jumping up and running over to the courtyard where John was dismounting.

"Momma! Momma! I'm fine!" Jack called out to her with a grin on his face.

She snapped Jack up into her arms, swinging his small legs around as she held him close and hugged him with fervour. 

“Come here, you silly boy,” She cried, happy tears streaming down her rosy cheeks, “Oh my boy, my little boy...you got him. You got my son back.”

You saw her look up at John and, even though you were a good distance away, you could see her beaming at the man with so much love in her eyes. 

The rest of the gang had rushed up and gathered around Jack and Abigail, greeting him with excitement and relief. You hung back with Charles as you let everyone say their hellos to the young boy. Arthur was standing with Athena, stroking her mane as he watched the little family, a sense of longing in his eyes.

Some of your favourite moments consisted of things like this: watching Arthur when he thought nobody was looking, seeing the way he looked at the family before him and realising it was something he wanted but never got to have. A family and an overall sense of normal seemed crazier to you than the life you led, but when your heart quickened as Arthur's eyes turned to you and you saw his smile deepen, you felt as though this is what you'd been waiting for your whole life.

You'd never considered having kids; hell, you never expected to find a partner, let alone fall in love with someone..and now here you were, head over heels and half-considering bringing life into this world with someone you loved.

Jack had wrestled himself free of the welcome party and ran back to Arthur, throwing his arms around Arthur’s thigh, which was the highest he could reach, “Thanks, Uncle Arthur.” 

Arthur smiled wryly and bent down to Jack, “Just glad to have you back, Jack,” He looked over at you and then whispered something inaudible to the boy.  

Jack turned around and, when he saw you, his eyes lit up. He made a beeline toward you, charging at you like a little bull. 

“Auntie Jane, auntie Jane!” Jack leapt into your chest, “Guess what?”

“What’s that, Jackie?” You laughed as you embraced the boy.

“I had spaghetti! It was the best thing I ever tasted!” He replied with a grin, “But I’m so happy to be home with mama. I missed everyone.” 

“We’re so happy to have you back, sweet boy,” You released your grip on him and stood up, playfully messing up his hair as Abigail and John approached you, big smiles on their faces. 

Spirits in the camp were high again - you hadn’t seen everyone this happy in quite a long time, you reckoned, since you had joined up. Things seemed simpler and easier back then; everything was a mess now, but you were in it and you weren’t alone. 

Everyone was seated around the campfire, around Jack and his elated family. John was standing behind Abigail with his hands on his shoulders affectionately; you had never seen him act this way with Abigail and it made you so happy to see them behaving like a proper family. Javier grabbed his guitar and eagerly began strumming away. Even Micah looked to be in a good mood as he tapped his toe to the music. Karen seemed to be cheering up as well, as she was dancing with Lenny and laughing; you were thrilled to see her acting like herself again. 

You saw Arthur gazing at you from across the fire and made your way over to join him. Plopping down next to him on the bedroll, you sighed. 

“You did this, you know,” You smiled as you leaned your head on his shoulder, watching Jack sit on Abigail’s lap, and bouncing happily to the music. 

Arthur just chuckled, “I helped a bit.” 

“Take credit for _something_ for once in a blue moon, Arthur,” you hit his bent knee playfully, “John’ll never admit it, but he was a wreck over this whole thing. You kept him strong and level, I do believe that. He looks up to you.” 

Arthur didn’t say anything, and the pair of you continued to watch the festivities for a few minutes until Arthur stood up suddenly and offered you his hand, “May I have this dance, Miss Faraday?” 

You giggled before taking it, “Why, I would be honoured, Mr. Morgan.” 

He pulled you closer, slightly away from the crowd, so you could hear the music and laughter, but so that the two of you had some privacy.  You moved together in small, graceful steps for a few minutes before he spoke up. 

“I had a son, you know,” Arthur said quietly as he held you and swayed your bodies, “Maybe it’s why I was so hell-bent on getting Jack back. His name was Isaac. He died. His mama, Eliza, died, too. Whole thing was an accident. It was only one night, but she got pregnant. She was young and I felt…responsible.” 

You were shocked, hushed by the lack of knowing what to say, but Arthur cleared his throat and continued, “I tried to do good by them, you know? Went by once a month to bring some money and supplies, try to be a father to the kid now and then before headin' back to the gang. None of them knew. One day, I show up, and there are two crosses outside. They were robbed and killed, all for a few bucks. I wasn’t there to protect them,” He sighed, “I was mad at John for a long time when he disappeared on us. Not because I missed the bastard, but because what if something happened to Abigail and Jack? And if he ever came back, and they were just… _gone_? Ever since then, well, I haven’t been able to go down any road like that before, not with anyone. For a long time, Mary had my heart and. despite the shit we went through, I couldn’t let go of her. She was all I knew. Not anymore, though, not since you showed up.” 

It was silent, save for the sound of Javier serenading and the rest of the gang talking, singing along, and celebrating, as you just leaned into Arthur’s chest, hugging him, with no intention of release. 

“Thank you,” Was all you could manage to say; Arthur was here, pouring it all out in front of you. 

With everything he’d been through, in his life, you felt selfish for the things you complained about. He had lived through a lifetime of loss and you felt unworthy. 

“For what?” Arthur asked, his voice low and quiet. 

“For bein’ honest with me,” You replied, feeling tears form behind your eyes as you looked up at him again, “I’m sorry that happened to you. I-I wish it didn't. You deserve so much...you deserve the world, Arthur. I can’t imagine how much pain you’ve felt in your life, and none of it was your fault.” 

“It’s in the past, and there ain’t no changin’ it,” He said slowly, stroking your cheek with his thumb, “I couldn’t accept that for a long time. I’m, well, I’m not good with words, you know that, but I was never able to forgive myself for all I’ve done, still can’t, but, uh…truth be told, I’d given up on livin’ till I met you.” 

“Don’t know how you can say you’re no good with words, Arthur Morgan,” You laughed quietly through tiny tears, “You're maybe one of the most articulate men I've ever met. I love hearin' you speak, your voice....it feels like home to me.” 

“Thing is, I ain’t used to bein’ with someone who’s well…kind. You are the fiercest woman I’ve ever met but _damn_ if you ain't kind...I’ve seen you mow down men with fire in your eyes but I’ve also seen you help a poor, sick man you ain’t ever met before. I hope to always stay on your good side.”

“Would be hard-pressed to think of a moment you'd be on my bad side. I’d burn the world down for you, Arthur,” You said, looking up at him and kissing his jaw, “Don’t forget that.” 

Arthur just squeezed you in his arms before pulling you in close again. You closed your eyes as he continued to sway your bodies to the music.   
  


* * *

“You _sure_ you want me to come, Arthur?” You asked as Arthur climbed up onto Athena’s back. 

“Jane,” Arthur sighed, “Just get on your horse.” 

You pursed your lips as you mounted Val and fixed your hat on your head. Arthur just shook his head as the pair of you rode out of camp and down the trail leading to Saint Denis. The sun was high in the sky, a new day in Lemoyne, and you were on your way to see Mary Linton. 

It would be the first time you were seeing the city. You had never been to a place like Saint Denis, but you had a feeling you wouldn’t like it. Blackwater and Valentine were your kinds of towns, but you had known that soon, they would be places out of time. The world was changing, and Saint Denis was the prime example of that. Anxiety was creeping in as you saw the black clouds being absorbed into the sky, spewing out of smokestacks and into the atmosphere like poison. 

You must have made a face of disgust because Arthur chuckled, “Darlin’, I had the same reaction.” 

“I’ve just never been to a place like this. Biggest city I was ever in was Blackwater and I have to say, I don’t think I like this.” You replied with a frown.

“I can’t say it’s my favourite place, either, I’d much rather be back in the country, but...necessary evils, I guess.” 

There were a few minutes of silence before Arthur spoke up again, “There ain’t nothin’ to worry about, you know.” 

You looked over at him and saw his smile, the one that melted your heart, and your expression softened. He had read your mind; today you were going to see Mary, to hear her out, to maybe help her, and hopefully give her closure about Arthur and prompt her to move on. 

“I know, I just,” You replied, “I don’t trust her, is all.” 

“Well I can’t help that,” Arthur said, “But do you trust _me_?” 

You nodded, “Of course.” 

“Then that’s all that matters.” 

You continued to ride on and over the bridge leading into the city. The horses slowed their pace as you crossed into civilization and began to see folks from all walks of life. 

There were proper city ladies walking together, arm in arm, gossiping and laughing without a care in the world. There were the downtrodden ones, dirty and sitting on the ground, staring into the abyss. There were men with canes and tall hats, speaking a different language and smoking cigars. There was the law, perched at every corner like vultures, scanning the streets, looking for troublemakers and outlaws. Looking for people like you and Arthur. It made your skin crawl. 

“What do you think so far?” Arthur asked, his eyes on the road, being careful to steer clear of pedestrians. 

“I think I hate it,” You pursed your lips, “But when in Rome, I guess…” 

“Glad you feel that way…I forgot to tell you, we’re goin’ to a party tonight.” 

“What’s that, now?” 

“Angelo Bronte invited us to some garden party at the mayor’s house,” Arthur crinkled his nose, “We've got to dress to the nines, and all.” 

“I’m invited?” You asked, brows raised.

“Dutch, Hosea, Bill, me, and you,” Arthur replied, “Dutch thought it’d be a good idea to bring a lady, it’d be a little less suspicious.” 

You frowned, “I don’t have clothes for that…” 

“Oh don’t worry, Hosea’s takin’ care of it for all of us,” Arthur said with mock enthusiasm, “We’ll be lookin’ like high society in no time.” 

“Can’t wait,” You rolled your eyes, “Although, a party _could_ be fun.” 

“I guess we will see.” Arthur shrugged. 

After a few more minutes of navigating the dirty and loud city streets, you found yourselves in front of the hotel Mary was staying in. You’d never seen anything like it; it looked beautiful, expensive and too polished for your liking. 

You dismounted and hitched Val to one of the posts on the sidewalk, noticing the fine detail of a horse's head on the black post. Within minutes, you heard a gasp of surprise from somewhere above you and looked up to see a dark-haired woman looking down at you and Arthur. Your heart began pounding as you realised it was Mary and within minutes, she would be standing in front of you. 

You looked over at Arthur, who was kicking at the ground with his boot, looking uncharacteristically shy. Frowning, you turned back toward the main entrance to the hotel, where a door opened and Mary Linton stepped out. You began fiddling nervously with your Schofield as you laid eyes on her.  

She was beautiful, of course, a few years older than you, and her features seemed kind, but she had cold eyes as she fixed them upon you before looking at Arthur. She was wearing a long dress with an intricate plaid design, and a short jacket on top, not overly sophisticated but far more than your attire. 

“Arthur,” She said, her voice light and airy as she smiled tiredly at him, “You came.” 

“Sure. Whenever you call for me,” Arthur said, before pausing and looking over to you, “So-uh, what do you want, Mary?” 

“Who are you?” Mary asked without answering Arthur’s question, her eyes piercing you. 

Without waiting for you to respond, Arthur pounced and stepped closer to you, putting his hand on the small of your back, “She’s with me, Mary. Whatever you say to me, she can hear it.” 

Mary’s eyes narrowed as she looked from you to Arthur, “I see. And you’re who, exactly?”

“Someone who came to help you, despite your best efforts of pissin’ me off.” You snapped, twirling your revolver between your fingers. You heard Arthur’s attempt to suppress a chuckle and you smirked as Mary looked both nervous and slightly affronted. 

She crossed her arms, “Well, I, uh, I suppose it’s nice to make your acquaintance, Ms-“

“Faraday,” You interjected, “Now exactly what is this business you wrote Arthur about?” 

She shifted her focus from you to Arthur uneasily, “It’s Daddy,” she sighed, “He-“

“Your father?” Arthur scoffed, “I’m a bigger fool than I ever thought.” He rolled his eyes and turned to walk away from her. 

“I’m _begging_ you, Arthur, I know Daddy was not kind to you, but,” She pleaded, “But surely you cannot hate a man for the sin of loving his daughter and wanting better for her than…”

“Than me?” Arthur interrupted, his features dark. 

“Than the choices you make,” Mary answered. 

“How _dare_ you,” You snarled, pushing yourself in front of Arthur and getting in Mary’s face, “You have no idea the kind of man he is.” 

“And you do? He chooses to live by his ‘code’ but his ‘code’, and maybe _yours_ , too, well, it’s not right.” She argued. 

“Has your way been right, Mary?” Arthur asked, “With you, and Jamie joining a bunch of crazies, and hypocritical Daddy with his drinking and whoring and gambling. Huh? Is that what a ‘pure’ life has gotten you? Begging me for help?” 

“Oh, Arthur,” Mary whined, “Be kind to me. Please.”

“Why should he?” You jumped in again, watching as Arthur’s haunches fell, “When all you’ve done is break his heart again and again? Come to him for help and give what in return, exactly? Stringin’ him along on your self-righteous lead, only to leave him again and again, huh?” Your temper was alight and you couldn’t help but rip into Mary as she stepped back fearfully, “You’re a hypocrite. ‘ _Be kind to me, Arthur_ ’, how dare you ask that of him, when you do nothing of the sort for him. You cunning, conniving-“ 

“Jane!” Arthur grabbed your forearm and jerked you back. 

You snapped out of your tirade and realised you had backed Mary into a corner, your fingers dancing on the handle of your revolver dangerously. Mary was nearly whimpering in front of you. 

“I-I-,” You blinked furiously, looking around and shaking yourself back to reality, “I’m sorry, I-“ 

“This is the kind of company you keep, Arthur?” Mary cried indignantly, pointing at you, “She’s crazy!” 

Without looking at you, Arthur took your shaking hand and held it to his lips, “I’m sorry Mary, but Jane is right. I’m done doing you favours, and being made a fool of again and again. I can't do it no more. I wish you all the happiness this world can muster, but I can’t keep doin’ this with you. I can’t keep living in the past. Jane ain't some mild-mannered high society woman and she ain't crazy; she's crazy _about_ me, that much is plain. I look at her and I know, without a doubt, she would ride through hell and back with me, if I asked her to. She loves me, and I love her, that’s it.” 

Mary was silent as she regarded you and considered Arthur’s words. After a long pause, she sighed. 

“I know, Arthur. I’m sorry. I guess,” she shrugged her shoulders, “I was holding onto a dream that we’d still run away together one day.” 

You stiffened at her admission; Arthur simply looked at her, his expression complex. It looked like sadness, regret, pity, and acceptance all at once. 

“Mary,” Arthur exhaled deeply, “There was a time when I would have liked nothing more than to hear you say that. But _now_? I’ve realised that love ain’t about runnin’ away together from your troubles,” He looked at you, “It’s about facing them together, and that’s something you would not do for or with me. Jane doesn’t judge my way of life, she’s embraced it, for me. I begged her to leave it all behind and she wouldn’t.” 

You looked at Arthur, your gaze full of love as he spoke. It was completely from the heart, and something brutally honest and raw. It took a lot of courage for him to say those things, you knew, and here he was, laying his cards on the table to the woman he had loved deeply for nearly half of his life. 

“Well it seems that she’s done more for you than I ever could,” Mary said simply, her voice sorrowful, “I am, selfishly, sorry to hear you say this Arthur, but I am happy that you’ve found someone who can care for you in ways I didn’t.” 

Arthur nodded as Mary turned to you, “I apologize for seeming so harsh earlier. I just have found it difficult to let go of the past.” 

“I’m sorry too, Mary. I just am, well,” you looked at Arthur and nodded, “I’m quite protective. We've saved each other so many times, I just can't bear to see him hurt.”

She gave you a sad smile, "Yes, I can see that. Thank you for taking care of him. I wish you both well."

Mary faced Arthur, realizing that it was, very likely, the last time she would see him again. She fished in her pocket and pulled out something small, wrapped carefully in a cloth, and handed it to Arthur.

"I've been holding onto this and I think it's time I give it back. Until then, I can't fully move on, and it's time that I do, for both of our sake," She said as you watched Arthur open the cloth to reveal a ring, "I will always love you, Arthur, but not in the way you need me to. Please take care, and be happy, however, you can. I am glad for you, truly."

Arthur closed his hand over the ring and gave Mary a grateful smile, "Mary, thank you. I truly wish you all the happiness in the world."

He pulled her in for a hug and you smiled, happy to see that closure had been found between the two of them; despite your prior ire for Mary, you could see that she truly cared for Arthur and it was not the man she didn't love, but his way of life; it was something she would never look past and that was the unfortunate thing of reality. Things almost never happen as we wish they would; in some cases, we get lucky. You felt luckier than ever when Arthur released Mary and looked to you with love and gratitude in his eyes.

Even Mary appeared to have a hint of relief on her face among the sadness, and she touched you on the shoulder as she passed with a nod as if to say 'thank you' before disappearing into the hotel, out of view, and out of your lives.


End file.
